James S. Brady and his wife, Sarah, have been tireless champions of sensible gun laws.

Jim achieved a lifelong career goal when President Ronald Reagan appointed him Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary in January of 1981. His service, however, was cut short on March 30, 1981, when a mentally deranged young man, John Hinckley, attempted to assassinate the President, and shot both President Reagan, Jim, and two law enforcement officers. Jim suffered a serious head wound that left him partially paralyzed for life.

Although Jim never worked as press secretary after the shooting, he kept the title for the remainder of President Reagan's presidency.

Since leaving the White House, Jim has spent countless hours lobbying with his wife Sarah, Chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (formerly Handgun Control), for common sense gun laws.

On November 30, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the “Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act”, also known as the “Brady Bill,” into law. The enactment of the Brady law (effective February 28, 1994) changed this “lie-and-buy” system to a “background check-then-buy” system by requiring that every sale of a gun by a licensed dealer be referred to law enforcement for a background check.

Since that time, an estimated 2 million prohibited purchasers have been stopped from buying guns.

The Brady law requires that individuals seeking to buy a gun at a licensed dealer pass a background check. Because guns are especially lethal weapons, it makes sense that before someone can own one, he or she meet the legal requirements for ownership. This simple step protects everyone — gun owners and non-gun owners alike — from the danger of high-risk people gaining access to lethal weapons.

The Brady Law was implemented in two stages. The purpose of the two-stage implementation was to provide time to organize and computerize criminal history and other relevant records and for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to develop the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

In 1996, Jim received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton, the highest civilian award in the United States.

On February 11, 2000, President Clinton officially named the White House Press Briefing Room "The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room" in Jim Brady's honor. A plaque honoring him for his service as White House Press Secretary now hangs in the room.

In December 2000, the Boards of Trustees for Handgun Control and the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence voted to honor Jim and Sarah Brady's hard work and commitment to gun control by renaming the two organizations the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Jim serves as an Honorary Member of the Board of Trustees of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, with Jim and Sarah Brady, is marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by highlighting the many accomplishments of the Bradys in their decades-long quest to prevent gun violence.

The Brady's tireless efforts culminated in the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993.

The Brady law has blocked an estimated 2 million prohibited gun purchases and helped save countless lives. After the law was adopted, murders dropped 30 percent.  Most of the drop in murders — 73 percent — was accounted for by the sharp decline in gun murders.

» Click here for the the 30 year timeline (pdf)
» Click here for a video timeline
» Click here for a 2010 academic study of Brady's impact
» Click here to read Sarah Brady's editorial in the Washington Post

Click here to listen to Jim and Sarah's story on National Public Radio.

Jim "The Bear" Brady was born in Centralia, Illinois on August 29, 1940 and attended St. Mary Grade School in Centralia. He joined the Boy Scouts, attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

In 1962, Jim graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in political science. During college, he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. Jim began his career in public service as a staff member in the office of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen. During the summer of 1962, he was an Honor Intern at the U.S. Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division.

Jim held numerous positions in the private sector in Illinois, including faculty member at Southern Illinois University, Assistant National Sales Manager and Executive Manager to the President of Lear-Seigler, Director of Legislation and Public Affairs for the Illinois State Medical Society, Whitaker and Baxter's Chicago Office Manager, Executive and Vice President of James and Thomas Advertising and Public Relations.

Then Jim moved to Washington, D.C. and began serving again in the public sector in 1973. He served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; and member of the staff of Senator William Roth. He also served as Press Secretary to then presidential candidate John Connally.

Prior to serving in the Reagan Administration, Jim was Spokesperson for the Office of the President-Elect and had served as Director of Public Affairs and Research for the Reagan-Bush Committee.

Jim is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees. He received the Robert A. Taft Award for Outstanding Service to the Republican Party and the Significant Sigma Chi Award.

He and Sarah were the 1990 recipients of the Advancement of Communications Award given by the Annenberg Washington Program. They were recipients of the Lenore and George W. Romney Citizen Volunteer Award. The Bradys were presented with the John W. Gardner Leadership Award by Independent Sector. In 1996, the Secretaries of State awarded Jim and Sarah with the Margaret Chase Smith Award. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia presented the Bradys with the Jules Cohen Memorial Award.

Jim was also the recipient of the Lincoln Award for being a "National Hero". In addition, Mr. Brady served as Vice Chairman of the National Brain Injury Foundation as well as the Vice Chairman of the National Organization on Disability.

Mr. Brady and his wife, the former Sarah Kemp, reside in Delaware. They have a son, Scott. Jim also has a daughter, Melissa, from a previous marriage.