James Cowdon Bradford Sr.
James Cowdon Bradford Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 24, 1892 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 1981 (aged 89) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Years active | 1912–1951 |
| Known for | Founder of J.C. Bradford & Co., chairman of Piggly Wiggly and Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee |
James Cowdon Bradford Sr. (November 24, 1892 – December 14, 1981) was a prominent American entrepreneur. He held the position of chairman at Piggly Wiggly between 1924 and 1926 and led the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee as chairman from 1934 until 1951. In 1927, he established the Nashville-based investment banking firm J.C. Bradford & Co., where he continued to serve as a senior partner.
Early life
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Bradford spent his childhood in Houma, Louisiana following the death of his father. As a teenager, he returned to Nashville to attend Montgomery Bell Academy and later graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and participated in football.
Career
Bradford’s career started in the insurance industry in 1912. During World War I, he was involved in training military personnel at Fort Sill. He assumed the presidency of Piggly Wiggly in 1923 and was promoted to chairman from 1924 to 1926, managing over 360 stores across the country and successfully guiding the company through a period of recovery.
In 1927, he launched J.C. Bradford & Co., which was based in Nashville’s inaugural skyscraper, the Courtyard Nashville Downtown. In 1930, Bradford became the first individual from Tennessee to acquire a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, paying $400,000. He introduced the "Bradford Plan" in 1941, advocating for the NYSE to recruit talent beyond New York City.
From 1934 to 1951, he served as chairman of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee.
Personal life, death and legacy
Bradford was married to Eleanor Avent, and they resided at 530 Belle Meade Boulevard in Belle Meade near Nashville. The couple had two children: James Cowden Bradford Jr. and Eleanor Avent Bradford (later Currie).
He passed away due to cancer on December 14, 1981, at Parkview Hospital in Nashville. His funeral services took place at St. George's Episcopal Church located in Belle Meade.
The investment company he founded, J.C. Bradford & Co., was purchased by PaineWebber in 2000 and subsequently integrated into UBS AG through a merger.