George Bradley

Chi, 1853, Phi Alpha 1854-1855

George Bradley, Chi, 1853, Phi Alpha 1854-1855, was an officer in the Union Army
during the Civil War, a prominent attorney and a politician in Minnesota.

Born and raised in Maine, he moved to Minnesota in 1854. During the Civil War, he
entered service as a lieutenant and was discharged as a lieutenant colonel in the 8th
Minnesota Regiment Infantry. In 1862, he commanded the 7th Regiment Minnesota
Infantry as it captured Fort Morgan.

Brother Bradley was admitted to the Minnesota Bar in 1855 and was elected Speaker
Pro Tem of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1857. In 1858, the speaker of
the House had to resign for personal reasons and Bradley was elected interim Speaker
and then permanent Speaker. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives
from 1858-1859. Bradley was elected to be a member of Minnesota’s first Senate in
1860 and was a partner in two prominent Minneapolis law firms from 1865 until his
death in 1870.

Despite his distance from Waterville, Maine, Brother Bradley provided financial support
to the Chi chapter at Colby throughout his life. During his term as Phi Alpha, the Kappa
chapter at Tufts University was recruited by brothers from the Rho chapter at Harvard.
The chapter was chartered on October 22, 1855, five days after he passed the gavel to
the new Phi Alpha, Charles H. Skillman.