James A. Brady. High rank in the legal profession had long distinguished Cherryvale, and it numbers among its members many who have gained for themselves reputations and prestige extending some distance beyond the limits of their immediate field of action. Among the ambitious, alert and enterprising lawyers who have taken advantage of the opportunities offered in this city for professional advancement and have thereby attained a full measure of success, is James A. Brady, who had been engaged in practice here since 1905, and who for the past seven years had served capably and energetically in the office of city attorney.
Mr. Brady was born at Chenoa, McLean County, Illinois, May 22, 1878, and is a son of James T. and Mary (McCoy) Brady. His grandfather was James Terrence Brady, who was born in 1800, in County Cavan, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in 1840, making his home near Albany, at Waterville, New York, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and became well known as a raiser of hops. He was also prominent in politics, and being possessed of fine oratorical gifts was frequently called upon for public speeches, Fourth of July orations, etc. He died near Albany, in 1879. Mr. Brady was the father of the following children: Hugh, who was a “forty-niner” during the gold rush to California, became a member of the Guards in the Golden State, had numerous experiences with the Indians, and finally returned to Kansas, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits until his retirement and now lives at Chetopa; Thomas, who is engaged in the manufacture of shoes at Waterville, New York; John, deceased, who was a farmer of Chenoa, Illinois, and raised a large family, one of his sons, Frank, being chief clerk to the superintendent of the plant of the Armour Packing Company, at Omaha, Nebraska, while three other sons are in the United States mail service at Chicago; Frank, who died in the Empire State many years ago; and James T.
James T. Brady was born in 1834, in County Cavan, Ireland, and was six years of age when brought by his parents to the United States. He was reared to manhood in the vicinity of Albany, New York, where he received a public school education, and came west to Chenoa, Illinois, as a pioneer farmer. He developed a good property in McLean County and resided thereon until 1882 when he removed to Chetopa, Kansas, and continued to be engaged in farming there until his retirement, in 1910, since which year he had lived quietly at Parsons. During the “days of old, the days of gold, the days of ’49,” he made the perilous trip across the plains to the gold fields, and was successful as a prospector, winning his stake by energy and untiring perseverance. He is independent in politics, voting for the man rather than the party. He had been a member of the school board in Kansas, and is religiously connected with the Roman Catholic Church, in the faith of which he was reared. Mr. Brady married Miss Mary McCoy, who was born in Virginia, just across the line from Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1834. They became the parents of the following children: John, of Oswego, county clerk of Oswego County, and a leading democrat; Francis M., of Kansas City, Kansas, first assistant United States attorney for Kansas; Etta L., widow of James Lenahan, of Parsons, a railroad engineer on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas line; Thomas M., a graduate of the University of Kansas, prominent attorney, and city attorney of Parsons for the past ten years; Edward H., a graduate of the University of Kansas, and a prominent lawyer of Vinita, Oklahoma; James A.; Charles, a graduate of Keokuk Medical College and the Chicago Policlinic, and now a practicing physician and surgeon of Parsons; Jennie L., who is the wife of A. E. Bero, a merchant of Parsons; Margaret, the wife of D. L. Lott, a merchant of Parsons; and William Riley, a graduate of the Kansas City Medical College and the Denver Medical College, and now one of the leading surgeons of Parsons.
After attending the public schools of Labette County, Kansas, James A. Brady entered the old Kansas Normal College, at Fort Scott, from which he was graduated in 1897. He next spent two years at Denver, Colorado, where he was connected with the Denver Union Water Company as chief mechanic in the construction of the big dams. He had determined, however, upon a career in the law, and accordingly entered the University of Kansas, from which he was graduated after three years, in 1905, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Mr. Brady commenced practice at Cherryvale in November, 1905, and had since built up a large and important professional business of a civil and criminal character. He had offices in the Foval Building, on West Main Street. For the past seven years Mr. Brady had been city attorney of Cherryvale and had discharged his duties in a faithful and thoroughly efficient manner, handling every case with thoroughness and protecting the city’s interests on all occasions. His residence is at No. 603 East Fourth Street, in addition to which he owned two other homes, one on West Main Street and the other on East Fourth Street. In politics he is a stalwart democrat. Prior to becoming city attorney, Mr. Brady was assistant county attorney for several years. Some of the best work that Mr. Brady had done for Cherryvale had been along the line of good roads, in behalf of which he had worked unselfishly and untiringly. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. In the line of his profession he holds membership in the Labette County and Kansas State Bar associations, and also belongs to Jayhawker Camp No. 913, Modern Woodmen of America; and Lodge No. 989 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Cherryvale. As an active member of the Commercial Club he had aided other public-spirited citizens in the forwarding of modern and progressive civic movements.
In 1911, at Cherryvale, Mr. Brady was united in marriage with Miss Eileen Broderick, daughter of T. M. and Mary Broderick. Mr. Broderick, who was a contractor and auditor of a contracting firm, is now deceased, but the mother still survives and makes her home with her daughter and son-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Brady have one child: Mary Elizabeth, who was born October 15, 1912.