The James J. Bradley Distinguished Service Award is presented to museums, archives, and libraries for exemplary efforts in preserving documents, photos, brochures and other resource materials relating to automotive history.
The award is named for James Bradley who graduated from St. Norbert’s College in Wisconsin and received his M.S. in Library Science degree from the Carnegie Library School in Pittsburgh. During World War II he served on General Eisenhower’s staff in London, Paris, Berlin and Algiers. Mr. Bradley spent more than 25 years with the Detroit Public Library, starting in 1953. He began working in the Library’s Automotive History Collection in 1955, becoming head of that collection in 1958.
Mr. Bradley passed away on November 27, 1980.
Requirements
All nominations and enquiries should be sent to sahawards@autohistory.org. Your email will then be forwarded to the Bradley committee chair.
Nominations should include the name of the award, the name if the institution being nominated, the name and contact information of the individual making the nomination, and one or two lines outlining the reason for the nomination.
All nominations for the Bradley Award must be received by April 15 of this year. Be sure to apply by the deadline.
Previous Award Winners
2025America’s Packard Museum | 2024Automotive Hall of Fame – Dearborn, Michigan | 2023Centro di documentazione, Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (MAUTO), Turin, Italy |
2022No Award | 2021No Award | 2020Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives & Collection, Stuttgart, Germany |
2019AACA Library and Research Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania | 2018The Canada Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa, Ontario | 2017The Digital Scholarship Program, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana |
2016The National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection), Reno, Nevada | 2015The Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware | 2014The Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Michigan |
2013International Motor Racing Research Center, Watkins Glen, New York | 2012Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Naples, Florida | 2011Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, Coventry, UK |
2010The Automotive Research Library of the Horseless Carriage Foundation, La Mesa, California | 2009Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, Michigan | 2008Benson Ford Research Center at The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan |
2007National Auto History Collection, Detroit Public Library | 2006SAE International, Warrendale, Pennsylvania | 2005Stanley Museum, Inc., Kingfield, Maine & Estes Park, Colorado |
2004Citizens Motorcar Company – America’s Packard Museum, Dayton, Ohio | 2003Nash Heritage Preservation Project, Nash Car Club of America | 2002Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, Missouri |
2001American Truck Historical Society, Kansas City, Missouri | 2000The Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, California | 1999Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada |
1998Frederick C. Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland, Ohio | 1997National Motor Museum of Australia, Birdwood, South Australia | 1996Automotive Hall of Fame, Inc., Dearborn, Michigan |
1995Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, Auburn, Indiana | 1994Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire, England | 1993Studebaker National Museum, South Bend, Indiana |
1992National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan | 1991AACA Library and Research Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania | 1990Museo dell’Automobile Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, Turin, Italy |
1989GMI Alumni Foundation Industrial History Collection, Flint, Michigan | 1988Fondation de L’Automobile Marius Berliet, Lyons, France | 1987Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan |
1986Daimler-Benz Archiv-Geschichte-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany | 1985National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, England | 1984Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1983Helen Jones Earley, Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, Lansing, Michigan | 1982Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States |