Why is this street in Tamuning named after someone named Bradley?
The Bradley named here is former Governor of Guam Willis Bradley, a Commander in the U.S. Navy. Bradley was Governor of Guam from 1929 till 1931, just about wo years. But, in those short two years, he made a name for himself mainly by writing the so-called "First Bill of Rights" of the Chamorros on Guam, defining them as citizens of Guam (up till then, the Chamorros on Guam were considered by Americans and other foreigners as citizens of nowhere). He also advocated granting U.S. citizenship to the Chamorros on Guam.
Bradley reorganized the consultative Guam Congress and allowed the first free elections (under the American Navy) of the members of the Guam Congress as well as the village commissioners.
Since the U.S. Post Office would not make deliveries of mail to individual homes and businesses, Bradley created the Guam Guard Mail for the internal delivery of mail. This lasted only a short while since the U.S. Post Office finally agreed to provide this service.
Bradley was a progressive, liberal-minded American who knew Guam before he was appointed Governor, having been commanding officer of the USS Gold Star which was based on Guam, from 1924 to 1926.
For these actions, Bradley was frowned on by his fellow Navy officials but was considered by leading Chamorros to be a friend of the native people; one who showed some respect for the people of the land. I wouldn't be surprised if the late Frank Perez, the developer of Perezville where this street is located, knew Bradley when Ton Frank was a youngster and heard enough about him to consider him a friend of the Chamorro people and worthy of a street in Perezville.
Prior to World War II, a park (baseball field) in Aniguak was named Bradley Park by the local government in his honor.
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| wikipedia.com |
GOVERNOR WILLIS W. BRADLEY, USN
Check out this silent video of Gov Bradley on Guam 1929-1931
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