1112 JAMES BUCHANAN BRADY AND THE TWO BRADY DEPARTMENTS OF UROLOGY

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology Forum1 Apr 20131112 JAMES BUCHANAN BRADY AND THE TWO BRADY DEPARTMENTS OF UROLOGY Bobby B. Najari and Gilbert J. Wise Bobby B. NajariBobby B. Najari New York, NY More articles by this author and Gilbert J. WiseGilbert J. Wise New York, NY More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.704AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES James Buchanan Brady (1856-1914) was renowned for his wealth, flashy appearance, and appetite for food. While his life was characterized by the fulfillment of worldly desires, his legacy is carried on by two prestigious academic urologic departments: the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the James Buchanan Brady Foundation Department of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College. METHODS Biographical sources and primary documentation were reviewed to compile a summary his life and relationship with the two urologic departments named after him. RESULTS On August 12, 1856, Brady was born upstairs from Daniel Brady's Saloon in New York City. As a youth, he worked as a baggage handler at the New York Central Railroad; however, he quickly developed a fortune through his aptitude for the sale of railroad supplies. He used his wealth to acquire a large collection of diamond jewelry, hence his nickname “Diamond Jim” Brady. He also spent his fortune entertaining women and eating enormous quantities of food. Not surprisingly, Brady had numerous health problems, for which he often sought the care of Dr. Hugh Hampton Young at Johns Hopkins. Young wrote in his autobiography: “Brady's case did indeed present a formidable series of complications: diabetes, Bright's disease, generalized urinary infection, inflammation and obstruction of the prostate gland, difficulty and frequency of urination.” In appreciation of the care he had received, Brady gave $220,000 to Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1912 to establish the James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute. Brady's urological problems often required urgent attention that precluded travelling to Baltimore from his home in New York City; thus, he turned to the care of Oswald Swinney Lowsley. After obtaining a medical degree at Johns Hopkins, Lowsley worked at Bellevue Hospital in New York as an intern and then in the Bellevue urology clinic. Brady found Lowsley always available to make house calls, and Lowsley never charged Brady for his services, although he did occasionally permit Brady to give him gifts. Brady appreciated Lowsley's care so much, that upon his death in 1917, it was revealed that Brady bequeathed over $1,000,000 of his estate to the formation of the James Buchanan Brady Foundation of Urology at New York Hospital (which was affiliated with Cornell Medical College), with Lowsley named as its first director. CONCLUSIONS Diamond Jim Brady led an extravagant and memorable life, and the care he received by Hugh Hampton Young in Baltimore and Oswald Swinney Lowsley in New York City led to two urologic departments being named after him. © 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 189Issue 4SApril 2013Page: e455 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Bobby B. Najari New York, NY More articles by this author Gilbert J. Wise New York, NY More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...