Former Chamber President Tutt Bradford Passes Away

3/23/2012

Former Blount County Chamber of Commerce president, Daily Times publisher and community leader Tutt S. Bradford died at Shannondale of Maryville at 12:20 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2012.

Bradford, 94, served on many government boards and committees and garnered many awards throughout his long life.

In 1960, he took over the role of Blount County Chamber of Commerce president. From 1970 to 1972, he was president of the Blount County Industrial Development Board.

He was named Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year in 1991 by the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives.

In November 1955, Bradford, a native of Columbia, S.C., became the fifth owner of The Daily Times, and served as publisher until 1984. He continued to serve as chairman of the board until the paper was sold to the Persis group in 1989.

After his retirement, Bradford remained very active as a community leader and contributed many letters to the editor of The Daily Times.

After 14 years as an advertising salesman at the Spartanburg, S.C., Herald-Journal, he accepted the position of president and publisher of the Cleveland, Tenn., Banner on Jan. 5, 1949, before moving to Maryville.

He graduated from Wofford College and married the former Elizabeth Henley.

Bradford served three years with the Army in the European Theater during World War II where he was in charge of the Augsburg-Heidelberg printing plants operated by the U.S. Military Government.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, 982-6812.

Read more at The Daily Times.