Jim Brady

James Scott "Jim" Brady (August 29, 1940 – August 4, 2014) was an assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan. After nearly being killed and becoming permanently disabled as a result of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981, Brady became an ardent supporter of gun control.

Early career

After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in political science in 1962, Brady began his career in public service as a staff member in the office of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL). He went on to hold various positions in the private sector and in government, including service as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, James Thomas Lynn; Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; and member of the staff of Senator William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE). He also served as Press Secretary to then-presidential candidateJohn Connally in 1979. After Connally dropped out of the race, he eventually became Director of Public Affairs and Research for the Reagan-Bush Committee, and then Spokesperson for the Office of the President-Elect. After Reagan took office, Brady became White House Press Secretary.

Shooting

Brady was among the four people shot during John Hinckley, Jr.'s March 30, 1981, attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, suffering a serious head wound. During the confusion that followed after the shooting, all major media outlets, except CNN, erroneously reported that Brady had died. Later, when ABC Newsanchorman Frank Reynolds, a friend of Brady, was forced to retract the report, he angrily said on-air to his staff, "C'mon, let's get it nailed down!", resulting in Sam Donaldson joining him after commercial. During the hours-long operation, surgeon Dr. Arthur Kobrine was informed of the media's announcement of Brady's death, to which he retorted, "No one has told me and the patient."

Although Brady survived, the wound left him with slurred speech and partial paralysis that required the full-time use of a wheelchair. His neurosurgeon, Arthur Kobrine, described him as having difficulty controlling his emotions while speaking after the shooting, saying "he would kind of cry-talk for a while", and suffering deficits in memory and thinking, such as failing to recognize people. However, Kobrine said that 30 years later, Brady could walk and had recovered almost all speech and cognitive function.

Brady was unable to work as the White House Press Secretary but remained in the position until the end of Reagan Administration with Larry Speakes and Marlin Fitzwater performing the job on an "acting" or "deputy" basis.

Handgun control advocate

Together with his wife, Sarah, who served as Chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, formerly known as Handgun Control, Inc., co-founded by N.T. "Pete" Shields, Brady subsequently lobbied for stricter handgun control and assault weapon restrictions. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, also known simply as "the Brady Bill", was named in his honor.

Brady received the honorary degree of doctor of laws from McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois, in 1982. Sarah and James Brady were each awarded a doctorate degree (of Humane Letters) by Drexel University in 1993. In 1994, James and his wife, Sarah, received the S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[9] In 1996, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, the highest civilian award in the United States.

James S. Brady press briefing room

President 
George W. Bush hosts six White House Press Secretaries, including James Brady (second from the right) with his wife Sarah Brady (far right), before the Press Briefing Room underwent renovation (August 2, 2006).

In 2000, the Press Briefing Room at the White House was renamed after Brady as the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

Death

Brady's death was announced by his family on August 4, 2014. He was 73.

Portrayals in film

Brady's recovery after the shooting was dramatized in the 1991 filmWithout Warning: The James Brady Story, with Brady portrayed by Beau Bridges.