The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation celebrated the 20th-anniversary Bradley Prize on Tuesday night, honoring three individuals recognized for their “incredible contributions” to the conservative movement.
The foundation awards grants to organizations advocating for conservative principles and annually honors a selected group of people. This year, William B. Allen, Samuel Gregg, and Jay Bhattacharya received the accolade. Foundation President Rick Graber mentioned that the award commemorates individuals who champion the principles that Lynde and Harry Bradley, the founders, upheld.
“The Bradley brothers deeply cared about our constitutional order, federalism, separation of power, and individual liberties. They firmly believed in free enterprise, free markets, and the importance of being an informed citizen to be effective in our society,” Graber mentioned prior to the award ceremony.
He highlighted the grand prize aims to recognize individuals within the conservative movement who reflect the Bradley Foundation’s principles, have achieved excellence in their careers, and have made significant contributions.
The foundation noted that the winners were celebrated for exemplifying its mission “to restore, strengthen, and protect the principles and institutions of American exceptionalism.” Each of the awardees received a $250,000 prize, selected from a pool of 60 nominations.
Tuesday’s ceremony was described by Graber as a “celebration of the conservative movement” and a “special evening” marking the prize’s 20th anniversary.
Graber praised the winners, calling Gregg “one of the preeminent scholars in today’s world on free enterprise and free markets” and recognizing Allen as a leading scholar on America’s founding principles.
He highlighted Bhattacharya as a “champion of free speech” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stanford Medical School professor’s stances often differed from government policies, which brought him significant personal and professional pressure. “He endured enormous pressure but remained firm in his convictions,” Graber stated.
Graber also emphasized Bhattacharya’s importance to free speech in science, underscoring the necessity of debate and discussion among scientists to reach the right conclusions. He suggested that hindsight has shown government and certain scientists made incorrect decisions during the pandemic.
Reflecting on the anniversary, Graber believes the foundation has accomplished its mission by honoring those who made significant contributions to causes vital for sustaining the republic. He anticipates many more years of celebrating such achievements.
“Each year seems to surpass the last in terms of impact,” Graber concluded.
In 2023, Betsy DeVos, former secretary of education, John H. Cochrane of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute were recipients of the Bradley Prize.
