Charles Norman and Frances Weems Bradley Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS-367

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence, speeches, editorials, photographs, clippings, and memorabilia, relating primarily to the Bradley's careers, civic activities, and family. Norman Bradley's career in journalism spanned more than forty years with the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, the Associated Press, the Jackson State Times, The Chattanooga Post, and The Chattanooga Times; he served the latter three newspapers as editor. Frances Weems Bradley was the food editor of The Chattanooga Times. Papers include correspondence from Desi Arnez, Henry Cabot Lodge, Muriel Humphrey, Jimmy Carter and DeVeaux Smith (former assistant to David Rockefeller).

Dates

1890 - 1989

Creator

Bradley, Charles Norman (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Any requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce materials from this collection must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian for Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Mississippi State University as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Norman Bradley was the former editor of the Chattanooga Times. His journalism career in the South spanned over 40 years where he worked as a reporter, editor, and news executive.

He was Born in 1913 in Flora, Mississippi and was class valedictorian at Canton High School, Canton, Mississippi. He graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, with honors. In college he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, national leadership fraternity, and Eta Sigma, a scholastic leadership fraternity. While a student, he got his first newspaper experience serving as editor of the campus weekly' newspaper for two years and campus correspondent for both daily newspapers in Jackson. He was married to Frances Weems of Shubuta, Mississippi, and they had 2 children: Caroline Bradley (Mrs. Van) and Cavett William H. Bradley. Frances Weems Bradley was the food editor of The Chattanooga Times.

His newspaper career began in 1934 with the Jackson Clarion-Ledger where he served as reporter, state editor, and assistant to the managing editor. Three years later, he joined the Associated Press at Little Rock, Arkansas, and spent ten years as a news reporter in southern cities. From 1942 to 1947, he did a stint as AP correspondent in Chattanooga, an assignment which led to the beginning of a lasting association with Chattanooga newspapers. He became an editorial writer with The Chattanooga Times in 1947 but left in 1955 to take the editorship of the newly established State-Times in Jackson, Mississippi. He returned to Chattanooga as executive news editor of the Chattanooga Times. He was named associate editor in 1958. He was editor of the Chattanooga Post, an afternoon daily, from its establishment in 1966 until its suspension in 1970 when he again returned to the Times as senior associate editor.