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
2025
America’s Packard Museum
2024
Automotive Hall of Fame – Dearborn, Michigan
2023
Centro di documentazione, Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (MAUTO), Turin, Italy.
2022
No Award.
2021
No Award.
2020
Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives & Collection, Stuttgart, Germany.
2019
AACA Library and Research Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania. (Repeat Award).
2018
The Canada Museum of Science and Technology at Ottawa, Ontario.
2017
The Digital Scholarship Program, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana.
2016
The National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection), Reno, Nevada.
2015
The Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware.
2014
The Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, Michigan.
2013
International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen, New York.
2012
Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Naples, Florida.
2011
Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, Coventry, UK.
2010
The Automotive Research Library of the Horseless Carriage Foundation in La Mesa, California.
2009
Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, Michigan.
2008
Benson Ford Research Center at The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan.
2007
National Auto History Collection of the Detroit Public Library.
2006
SAE International, Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
2005
Stanley Museum, Inc. Kingfield, Maine, and Estes Park, Colorado.
2004
Citizens Motorcar Company – America’s Packard Museum, Dayton, Ohio.
2003
Nash Heritage Preservation Project, Nash Car Club of America
2002
Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, Missouri.
2001
American Truck Historical Society, Kansas City, Missouri.
2000
The Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, California.
1999
Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada.
1998
Frederick C. Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland, Ohio.
1997
National Motor Museum of Australia, Birdwood, South Australia.
1996
Automotive Hall of Fame, Inc., Dearborn, Michigan.
1995
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, Auburn, Indiana.
1994
Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire, England.
1993
Studebaker National Museum, South Bend, Indiana.
1992
National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan.
1991
AACA Library and Research Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
1990
Museo dell’Automobile Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, Turin, Italy.
1989
GMI Alumni Foundation Industrial History Collection, Flint, Michigan.
1988
Fondation de L’Automobile Marius Berliet, Lyons, France.
1987
Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.
1986
Daimler-Benz Archiv-Geschichte-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.
1985
National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.
1984
Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1983
Helen Jones Earley, Archivist and Executive Secretary for Public Relations, Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, Lansing, Michigan.
1982
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States.