Lydia Moss Bradley was born 200 years ago Sunday. The Peoria community celebrated her bicentennial and life Friday at her grave site in Springdale Cemetery.
Walter Zakahi is Bradley’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, he is also a Bradley alum. Zakahi says Lydia Moss Bradley was breaking boundaries with her vision and generosity in many ways before they were even established. “We’re really celebrating somebody who in many respects helped establish Peoria and through her generosity made a huge difference.”
Zakahi says Bradley’s donation to and vision for Bradley University, the hospital, the park district and the Unitarian Church are nothing short of amazing by today’s standards, in the 18-hundreds it’s astonishing. “It is amazing for someone in the 19th Century and for a woman it’s almost unbelievable what she was able to do and what she was able to accomplish and frankly her level of generosity.”
Bradley University is celebrating the life and contributions of it’s founder for the remainder of the year. Link here to the page that includes a list of events.