Arthur Freeman Bradley Jr.

Arthur Freeman Bradley Jr.
January 14, 1932 April 22, 2025
Freeman Bradley grew up in Tuskegee Institute, Alabama where, as a young child, he met Dr. George Washington Carver at his lab. He moved to Washington, D.C. and received a B.A. from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and took graduate classes at Howard University in Washington D.C. He worked at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland for four years before coming to the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
At the beginning of his career at UCSF, Freeman worked as a technician with Dr. John Severinghaus. In 1957 and 1958, combining technology created by Richard Stow and Leland Clark, they developed the first blood gas two-function analyzer (PCO2 and PO2). The next year, they enhanced the apparatus and presented the first three-function blood gas analyzer that also measured the level of alkalinity or acidity (pH) in blood. In Dr. Severinghaus written account of the invention of the blood gas analysis system, he emphasized how his and Freemans invention changed medicine. By the 1960s, their blood gas analysis systems became widely available and proved invaluable in the treatment of severely ill patients. In 1985, an apparatus Dr. Severinghaus and Mr. Bradley worked on was donated to the Smithsonian Museum. In 1968, Freeman helped found UCSFs Black Caucus. He later served as its chairman and frequently represented the Black Caucus in conversations with university administration. In 1977, after 19 years as a postgraduate research physiologist and a specialist in anesthesia research in the CVRI, Freeman was appointed Director of UCSFs Research and Development Laboratory. In this position, he oversaw complex and collaborative work that involved imagining new medical technologies and working with electronics technicians, engineers, and instrument makers to bring these technologies to fruition. One of his greatest successes was the design of a neonatal life support and emergency support table. Freeman retired from UCSF after 38 years.
Freeman was born in 1932 in Tuskegee Institute, Alabama to the late Arthur Freeman Bradley Sr. and Marion Davis Bradley. Freeman passed away on April 22, 2025, at the age of 93, at his home in Alameda, CA. His wife, Dorothy Shamwell Bradley preceded him in 1988 and his second wife, Patricia Scott Bradley in 2021. Freeman is survived by his children Lynn Reddrick (Quinn), Karen Hall, Arthur Freeman Bradley III (Vivian), David Werner (Lupita), and Kate Cathirell (Tony); grandchildren, Daniel Hall IV (Mallory), Lauren Fox (Glen), Quinn Reddrick II, Erin Bradley, Victoria Bradley, Gabriela Werner, Michael Werner, Maeve Cathirell, and Sage Cathirell; and great grandchildren, Landyn Hall, Cameron Hall, Scottlyn Hall, Cole Fox, and Lily Fox. He loved his family very much and will be dearly missed.
Freemans favorite saying is "Courage is the Word" He enjoyed a life-long love of the outdoors, golf, travel, and music, especially the blues and jazz. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Arthur, please visit our Tree Store.