Preston Bradley

Preston Bradley (August 18, 1888[1]– June 1, 1983) was an American clergyman, author, and lecturer. He believed that ethics, religion, and economics could not be separated. As a follower of Henry George, he believed that ministers must be concerned with social justice, poverty, and civic wrongs.[2] This liberal ideology guided his life and he was viewed as a forceful liberal voice and a reformer.[3] He was the founder and pastor of the Peoples Church in the Uptown Neighborhood of Chicago. Bradley was a civic leader who was active in Chicago in many areas, such as conservation, arts, racial issues, and education.

Bradley was on the Chicago Public Library Board for over 25 years. Preston Bradley Hall, in the former main location of the Chicago Public Library, now the Chicago Cultural Center, is named for him.

Chicago Cultural Center - Grand Staircase and Preston Bradley Hall
  1. ^ BRADLEY, Preston in Who's Who in America (1926 edition); p. 324
  2. ^ Bradley, Preston. "Henry George, Biblical Morality and Economic Ethics: Some Conclusions From a Lifetime's Study of the Relation Between Ethics and Economics." American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 39 (3) July, 1980.
  3. ^ Chicago Daily Defender. September 8, 1962, p 12.