John Brademas

John Brademas
source
Name	John Brademas
Caption	Brademas in 1977
Office	13th President of New York University
Term start	1981
Term end	1992
Predecessor	John C. Sawhill
Successor	L. Jay Oliva
Office1	House Majority Whip
Term start1	1977
Term end1	1981
Constituency1	Indiana's 3rd district
State1	Indiana
Term start1	1959
Term end1	1981
Predecessor1	F. Jay Nimtz
Successor1	John P. Hiler
Birth date	2 March 1927
Birth place	Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S.
Death date	11 July 2016
Death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Ellen Brademas (née Schlegel)
Alma mater	Harvard University (BA), Brasenose College, Oxford (MA, DPhil), as a Rhodes Scholar

John Brademas. An American educator and politician who served for over two decades as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana, rising to the position of House Majority Whip. A champion of education and the arts, his legislative career was followed by a transformative tenure as president of New York University, where he oversaw significant growth and modernization. Brademas's life bridged the worlds of Washington, D.C. policymaking and Manhattan academia, leaving a lasting impact on both.

Early life and education

Born in Mishawaka, Indiana, he was the son of Greek immigrants. He excelled academically, graduating as valedictorian from Mishawaka High School. Brademas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government, *magna cum laude*, from Harvard University in 1949. His academic prowess was recognized with a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which took him to Brasenose College, Oxford. At Oxford, he completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in social studies, writing his thesis on the political role of organized labor in Great Britain.

Political career

Elected as a Democrat to the House in 1958, he represented Indiana's 3rd congressional district for eleven consecutive terms. In Congress, he served on influential committees including the Education and Labor Committee and the Select Committee on Aging. A key architect of major legislation, he co-authored the pivotal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and played a central role in creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His expertise and leadership were acknowledged with his election as House Majority Whip in 1977, serving under Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr.. His congressional career concluded following a narrow defeat in the 1980 Republican wave.

Post-congressional career

In 1981, Brademas began a new chapter as the 13th president of New York University. During his eleven-year tenure, he launched the historic NYU Campaign, which raised over $1 billion, dramatically expanded the Washington Square campus, and elevated the university's national stature. He recruited renowned scholars like Vartan Gregorian and oversaw the establishment of the Tisch School of the Arts. After stepping down in 1992, he remained active as president emeritus and a senior advisor. He also served on numerous boards, including those of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the United Nations Association of the United States of America.

Personal life and death

In 1973, he married Mary Ellen Schlegel, a specialist in early childhood education. The couple maintained residences in New York City and Mishawaka. Brademas was a devout member of the Greek Orthodox Church. He passed away at the age of 89 in Manhattan from complications of cancer. His funeral service was held at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City, and he was interred in his hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana.

Legacy and honors

Brademas received numerous accolades, including the Order of the Phoenix from the Government of Greece and over 50 honorary degrees from institutions such as Notre Dame, Michigan, and Oxford. The John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress at New York University and the Brademas Trail in Indiana Dunes National Park bear his name. He is remembered as a principal founder of the modern federal commitment to supporting the arts, humanities, and education.

Category:1927 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American educators Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana Category:Presidents of New York University