Mel Bradford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mel Bradford
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Melvin Eustace Bradford May 8, 1934 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1993 (aged 58) Midland, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | literary critic and legal scholar |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma (BA, MA) Vanderbilt University (PhD) |
| Genre | non-fiction |
| Literary movement | Southern Agrarians, paleoconservatism |
| Notable works | The Reactionary Imperative |
Melvin Eustace Bradford (May 8, 1934 – March 3, 1993) was an American writer, political thinker, and professor. He taught literature at the University of Dallas.
Bradford was a key figure in a group called "paleoconservatives." This group believes in traditional values and ideas. He preferred to be called a "traditional conservative." He once wrote that sometimes, to keep things good, you have to react strongly against things that are wrong.
His ideas about conservatism came from the history and traditions of the American South. He studied at Vanderbilt University. His main teacher was Donald Davidson, a poet and writer who was part of the "Southern Agrarians." This group wanted to protect Southern traditions.
Bradford was mostly known as a literary scholar. He studied how people use language to persuade others. He was famous for his work on the writer William Faulkner. Bradford believed that to understand Faulkner's stories, you had to know about the Southern places and the importance of community in them. He thought Faulkner was deeply connected to his home region. Bradford also wrote a lot about history and culture. He focused on the early history of the United States and the history of the South. He also supported a way of understanding the Constitution called "strict constructionism." This means following the Constitution's original words very closely.
Bradford wrote for several magazines, including Modern Age, Chronicles magazine, and Southern Partisan.
Mel Bradford's Early Life and Education
Melvin Bradford was born and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. He studied English literature at the University of Oklahoma. There, he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees.
He then went to Vanderbilt University and earned his Ph.D. After finishing his studies, he became a professor. He taught at several colleges, including the United States Naval Academy. From 1967 until his death, he taught mainly at the University of Dallas.
Political Involvement and Beliefs
Bradford was active in politics. He supported several presidential candidates over the years.
- In 1964, he campaigned for Barry Goldwater.
- In 1972, he supported George C. Wallace.
- He worked for Ronald Reagan in both the 1976 and 1980 elections.
- In 1992, he supported Pat Buchanan.
He also served as the president of a group called the Philadelphia Society for a time. Bradford passed away in 1993 after having heart surgery.
Why Mel Bradford Was Not Chosen for a Government Job
In 1980, President-elect Ronald Reagan wanted to make Bradford the head of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This was a very important job. Reagan knew Bradford and appreciated his work during his presidential campaign. Other important conservative leaders also supported Bradford.
However, some people strongly disagreed with this choice. These were "neoconservative" thinkers. They were concerned about Bradford's opinions on President Abraham Lincoln. They shared quotes where Bradford called Lincoln "a dangerous man." Some even said he compared Lincoln to Adolf Hitler, though Bradford denied this. Bradford believed Lincoln had changed the American Republic too much. He thought Lincoln had created a government that was too powerful and centralized.
Another issue was Bradford's support for George C. Wallace in the 1972 election. Wallace was a controversial figure. Because of these objections, another person, William Bennett, was chosen instead of Bradford in November 1981.
Many people supported Bradford's nomination. These included several Republican senators like Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond. Other well-known thinkers like Russell Kirk and William Buckley also supported him. On the other side, people like Norman Podhoretz and Irving Kristol supported William Bennett.
