James T. "Brad" Bradley

A storied sports photographer, Brad spent more than 75 years photographing college and professional athletes across the country. Along with his father-in-law, Jim Laughead, Brad pioneered the “Huck ‘n Buck” posed action shot that defined football photography for decades.

Born July 23, 1922, to Mabel and Dennis Bradley, Brad grew up in Tarrant County and went on to serve in Okinawa during World War II. Following his service, he married Betty Laughead Bradley in 1946 and joined Jim Laughead in business shortly thereafter.

Brad and Jim took to the road, photographing college teams throughout the nation, including those of the Southeastern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference, among others. Throughout his career he was witness to such luminaries as Roger Staubach, Doak Walker, Earl Campbell, Dick Butkus, Joe Montana and Michael Jordan, and coaches including Darrell Royal, Bear Bryant, Ara Parseghian, Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi and George Halas.

Outside of his college work, Brad photographed a number of NFL teams and spent the off-season taking photos for the Topps baseball cards.

He began his association with the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1948 and went on to photograph 75 consecutive Cotton Bowls after that. In addition to his longtime association with the Cotton Bowl, he had a special relationship with SMU and Highland Park athletics.

He was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame Legends Award in 2019. More recently, he received the 2023 Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Lone Star chapter of the Regional EMMY Awards.

Beyond his professional achievements, Brad was a beloved member of the Park Cities community, being named Citizen of the Year in 2019 and having served twice as Grand Marshall of the Fourth of July parade.

He was known for his kind disposition, quick wit and unfailing generosity. He never met a stranger and could often be heard giving his signature greeting, “Hello, old friend!” He is survived by his daughter, Iris L. Bradley (Floyd); son, James T. “Jimmy” Bradley II; granddaughter Susan Gleiser and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held Sunday, October 22 at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home from 4-6:00 p.m., followed by a memorial service on Monday, October 23 at 3:00 p.m. at Highland Park United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Highland Park Education Foundation, the Dallas Association of Petroleum Landmen Brad Bradley Memorial Scholarship Fund or the East Dallas Exchange Club Brad Bradley Scholarship.