Sarah Jane Brady (née Kemp; February 6, 1942 – April 3, 2015) was a prominent advocate for gun control in the United States. Her husband, James Brady, was press secretary to U.S. president Ronald Reagan and was left permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on Reagan.
Sarah Brady | |
|---|---|
 Brady in 1984 | |
| Born | Sarah Jane Kemp February 6, 1942 |
| Died | April 3, 2015 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Gun control advocate |
| Years active | 1986–2015 |
| Spouse | |
| Signature | |
 | |
Life
She was born Sarah Jane Kemp in Kirksville, Missouri[1] to L. Stanley Kemp, a high school teacher and later FBI agent, and Frances (née Stufflebean) Kemp, a former teacher and homemaker. She had a younger brother, Bill.[2] She was raised in Alexandria, Virginia,[3] where she graduated from Francis C. Hammond High School in 1959.[1]
She graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1964. From 1964 to 1968 she was a public school teacher in Virginia.[3] She married James Brady in Alexandria on July 21, 1973.[4] On December 29, 1978, their only child, James "Scott" Brady Jr., was born.[5]
From 1968 to 1970 she worked as assistant to the campaign director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. She then worked as an administrative aide, first for Mike McKevitt (R-CO) and then for Joseph J. Maraziti (R-NJ). From 1974 to 1978, she worked as director of administration and coordinator of field services for the Republican National Committee.[3]
Her husband sustained a permanently disabling head wound during the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, which occurred on March 30, 1981.[6] James Brady remained as Press Secretary for the remainder of Reagan's administration, primarily in a titular role.[7]
Alongside her husband, Sarah Brady became "one of the nation's leading crusaders for gun control".[8] They later became active in the lobbying organization Handgun Control, Inc. that would eventually be renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.[9] She was chairwoman of the Brady Campaign from 2000 until her death in 2015.[10]
In 1994, she and her husband received the S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[11] In 1994, she and her husband received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[12]
Death
Sarah Brady died at the age of 73 on April 3, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia, from pneumonia.[13] Her husband James had died at the same age in the previous year, on August 4, 2014.[14]
Book
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Booknotes interview with Brady on A Good Fight, May 5, 2002., C-SPAN |
In 2002, Sarah Brady published her autobiography, A Good Fight.[15] According to Library Journal, it is more about her personal battles and her determination and courage than about gun control.[16]
In April 2002, Court TV announced a planned television movie adaptation of the book, to be produced in conjunction with Hearst Entertainment.[17] At the book's launch, Bill Clinton praised her for having "given the gift of life to countless thousands and thousands of Americans".[18]
The book gives an "intimate" look at her public and personal life, including a "detailed, suspenseful account" of the efforts to pass the Brady Bill, according to Publishers Weekly, which suggested that "fans of [Katharine] Graham's Personal History may enjoy this story of a determined woman in a male-dominated Washington."[19]
Kirkus Reviews called it "spirited," portraying Brady as a "scrapper" who never gives up, despite her husband's injury, her son's medical problems, and her own battle with smoking and lung cancer.[20]
References
External links
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