Lydia Moss Bradley

Lydia Moss Bradley ( born July 31, 1816 in Vevay, Indiana; † January 16, 1908 in Peoria, Illinois) was an American philanthropist. She was the first American woman in the supervisory board of a bank and also the first that entered into a marriage contract. Founder of the Bradley Polytechnic Institute.

Life

Lydia's parents, Zeally Moss and Jennett Glasscock Moss, came from Virginia. Her father owned a plantation in Kentucky, but he gave up because he did not earn any money with slave labor. He went to Indiana, where he established a farm. Here Lydia and her brother William S. Moss were born. You already showed business acumen when she her riding horse, which she herself had raised, sold and a deposit made ​​for the proceeds to a wooded area. This seemed a strange decision at a time when the horse was the only means of transportation in sparsely populated areas.

On May 11, 1837 married 26 years to five years older Tobias S. Bradley in Vevay, who drove a boat to St. Louis. As the business flourished, he expanded this by a lumberyard and a sawmill. 1833 Lydia's father had died and had left her the farm.

1847 they sold their property in Vevay and coated with Lydia's mother to Peoria, Illinois. Here was Lydia's brother, William, already a successful Geschaftsmann, which the steam ship " Avalanche " was one on which Tobias got in as captain. Later, he was also a partner in Williams distillery and they jointly operated the company Moss, Bradley & Co. Bradley was an exceptionally good businessman: He operated a ferry, bought land and shares in the First National Bank and eventually became its president.

Like all women of that time was Lydia housewife and mother. She had chickens and therefore their own eggs, made butter and salted meat as a stock. Fruit was processed, spun yarn, even made ​​clothing and carpets. She later said that the foods with which they have cooked, would result in a small mountain.

Fatalities

Lydia gave birth to six children, of which only the daughter of Laura reached adolescence.

• Rebecca February 20 1839-2. September 1845
• Clarissa October 26, 1843, died in 1847
• Tobias April 28, 1847, died in 1847
• Laura April 24, 1849 died in 1864 - she was 14 years old.
• Mary died April 25, 1852 - before their first birthday
• William died August 25, 1855 at the age of 2 years

With the death of Laura all their goals and aspirations had died. Lydia and her husband Tobias made ​​in subsequent years thinking about what they could do with their assets for other children. Her first idea was an orphanage. They drove to Montreal to visit, but came to believe that such a facility did not meet their expectations, because the children were growing up in addiction.

Services

In May 1867 her husband died suddenly and unexpectedly in an accident with a coach at the age of 56 years, without leaving a will with instructions for Lydia to leave. Without the slightest idea of the shops of her husband she was suddenly at age 51 heiress of a fortune of about half a million. She presented as Managing Director and portfolio manager, a lawyer WW Hammond, with whom she met until her death every day to a meeting. It was one of the directors of the Board of First National Bank of Peoria, a position which she held for over 25 years.

Two years after the death of her husband marry Lydia again. The reasons are not known. But she was wise enough, a prenuptial agreement to mean complete with her husband, Edward Clark, that in case of separation of each retained the share which he had brought into the marriage. Four years after they were divorced in 1873.

As the owner of 680 acres ( 270 ha) swamp land that they could drain. They divided it into plots, moved fences and leased it as arable land with small farm houses. When the crops failed, however sparse, she sent soil samples for analysis to Champaign. The soil was good, but lacked potash ( potassium ). By appropriate soil improvement their farms were successful. The neighboring farms followed her example, and the value of the land increased dramatically. She had the land for $ 10, - per acre and bought at one time it was $ 140, - value. One of her great strengths and the key to their success was that they sought the advice of experts. She was aware of their low knowledge due to lack of education and informed on all areas that were of interest to them in order to make their decision then.

She untied the mortgage of $ 30,000 from the church on the main road, which then " Bradley Memorial Church " was in memory of her husband. She gave the St. Francis Hospital, the country for a hospital. They taught the first public library in Peoria. They built a retirement home in 1884 for women. She gave in 1891 the city's 100 acres big, " Bradley Park " in memory of their daughter Laura and proposed to the council the establishment of a park management before. But during all this time she pursued the idea of ​​a school where young people from Peoria and the surrounding area at the age of 14 could learn a trade to 20 years to become independent and to be able to earn their own livelihood. This was true for both boys and girls alike. 1877 she attended the Rose Polytechnic Institute, in order to obtain a first impression of such a school. However, they sent WW Hammond to St. Louis, the Throop Polytechnic Institute in Pasadena, the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in Chicago, so they are always received well at the Washington School for Boys new ideas for their planned school they in their wanted to describe exactly Testament.

Bradley Parsons Horological School

On March 30, 1892 Lydia Bradley signed a contract with the owners of the watch factory " Peoria Watch Company " and James R. Parsons, owner of Parsons Horological Institute in La Porte, Indiana and owner of tools, machines and equipment of this institute, said, that they are the majority of the shares to purchase for $ 30,000 - payable in cash - which ensure the necessary supply of the factory and the school to continue. The agreement further said that James R. Parsons was to continue the school as headmaster at a new place and would that Lydia him the needed money for the purchase of the school building in LaPorte provide. Finally, she moved to the Institute to Peoria on the site where later the Polytechnic should be. Thus, students could work in the watch factory and learn at the institute. Later, in addition to the watch even a bicycle factory was added, so that a new branch of commerce in Peoria arose. 1892, however, the bicycle factory was destroyed by fire, while the Institute continued to exist until there is a separate department with 70 students (The Horological Department - later renamed West Lake ) 1897 Bradley Polytechnic Institute was.

Bradley Polytechnic Institute

Finally she asked in October 1896, Dr. William Rainey Harper of the University of Chicago for a visit and put this in front of their plans. Having studied this and had created a list of the expected costs, he could convince Mrs. Bradley to build the school in their lifetime and told her more advice on.

Bradley Polytechnic Institute was founded on 13 November 1896. Mrs. Bradley created 17.5 acres ( 71,000 m2) of land, $ 170,000 ready for building, equipment and library, as well as $ 30,000 per year for running costs.

The inauguration took place the end of 1897. President was Oliver J. Bailey. Were members of the Board of Trustees William R. Harper and Albion Small of the University of Chicago. The Bradley Polytechnic Institute was thus one of the " affiliates " of the University of Chicago. Graduates of two-year college course were the future students in Chicago.

This school was the joy of her age. You never mingled in the line. Satisfied with the progress on the Polytech wrote the rest of her estate for the benefit of their lifetime. At the Founder's Day 1906, she announced an additional donation for the construction of Hewitt gym.

Mrs. Bradley died of old age on January 16, 1908 in her home in Peoria. She was 91 years.

1998 Lydia Moss Bradley posthumo in the " National Women 's Hall of Fame" ( Hall of Fame for women) was recorded.