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In 1903, Lynde and Harry Bradley established
a new business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It took courage
and confidence for them to risk resources in a new venture,
based only on their judgement of what was and their vision
of what could be. The Bradleys confidence was bolstered
by the knowledge that in America, not only were they free
to start a business, they could also begin again if they failed.
The Bradleys, however, would not fail. Their business grew
to become the Allen-Bradley Company.
When the Allen-Bradley Company was acquired
by Rockwell International Corporation in 1985, a significant
portion of the proceeds was dedicated to establishing The Lynde
and Harry Bradley Foundation. Although it has no direct ties to
the Allen-Bradley Company, the purpose of the Foundation is
to commemorate Lynde and Harry Bradley by preserving and
extending the principles and philosophy by which they lived and
upon which they built the company.
As their efforts succeeded, their business grew and eventually extended far beyond its Milwaukee headquarters. Lynde and Harry Bradley remained devoted to the city where they began their enterprise and in which they lived and worked for so many years. Their foundation will continue the Bradleys? interest in helping to improve the quality of life in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The Bradleys lived and worked according to several philosophical principles. They believed that, over time, the consequences of ideas were more decisive than the force of political or economic movements. They recognized the interdependence of human endeavors -- cultural, educational, philosophical, economic -- and they rejected exclusionary emphasis on any single element. The brothers had an abiding belief in the dignity and decency of each person. They felt that only in an environment of political and economic freedom could individuals develop their talents, hone their skills and intellects, and contribute to the improvement of the human condition. The success of the Allen-Bradley Company stands as eloquent testimony to the enduring quality of these principles.
The Bradley brothers were committed to preserving and defending the tradition of free representative government and private enterprise that has enabled the American nation and, in a larger sense, the entire Western world to flourish intellectually and economically. The Bradleys believed that the good society is a free society. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation is likewise devoted to strengthening American democratic capitalism and the institutions, principles and values that sustain and nurture it. Its programs support limited, competent government; a dynamic market place for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense at home and abroad of American ideas and institutions. In addition, recognizing that responsible self-government depends on enlightened citizens and informed publicopinion, the Foundation supports scholarly studies and academic achievement.
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