DICK BRADLEY
Basketball Broadcaster, 1952-80
Inducted February 20, 1993
 
Dick Bradley was the sports director at Springfield radio station KICK for many years and did play-by-play broadcasts of SMS basketball games for some 30 years, in addition to broadcasting Bears’ football and a wide variety of other college, high school and amateur sporting events in and around Springfield.  A native Springfieldian and 1950 SMS graduate, Bradley moved to KICK in 1951 and began his association with SMS athletics when the basketball Bears were the dominant NAIA team in the nation in the early 1950s, winning back-to-back national titles in 1952 and 1953 for Coach Bob Vanatta, and capturing third place in the NAIA meet in 1954.  An intensely loyal Bears’ fan, Bradley was a broadcasting innovator and his keen sense of humor and tremendous enthusiasm for the Bears created a considerable radio audience for his broadcasts.  The Bears moved into the NCAA College Division ranks in 1956 under Coach Eddie Matthews, and Bradley was at the microphone through the glory years of five consecutive NIAA championships and NCAA Division II tournament appearances in the late 1960s.  Bradley was one of the play-by-play broadcasters for SMS teams which were Division II national runners-up in 1959 under Coach Matthews, and in 1967, 1969, and 1974 under Coach Bill Thomas.  Bradley prepared highlight tapes of several of the Bears’ championship seasons, and, in the later stages of his career, was involved in the televising of Bears’ basketball.  Bradley died of lung caner in 1990.