With five generations, nearly three-dozen family members and close to 50 degrees—and counting—the Bradley and Webster families represent a true legacy of perseverance, education and Orange pride.
Their story is not only one of academic achievement but of commitment to service, compassion and community—core values that continue to shape each new generation of Syracuse graduates.
The Websters: A Family of Grit and Determination
In August 1895, Syracuse University Chancellor James Roscoe Day responded to a scholarship request from local resident Frederick Webster.
“I will give you a scholarship the first year and we will see how you get on—shall help you all I can,” Day wrote in a letter. “Grit counts most.”
Webster lived up to that grit. He graduated in 1899 and launched a successful career as an educator. Of his eight children, five earned Syracuse degrees, including three daughters. By 1929, an Alumni News article credited the family for holding the “record for the largest group of sons and daughters of a Syracuse alumnus.”
The Bradleys: A Family Dedicated to Education and Public Service
Decades later, another Syracuse family was growing its own legacy. The Rev. William Bradley, a Methodist minister, encouraged his three sons and three daughters to attend Syracuse. Because of the University’s Methodist affiliation at the time, they would receive reduced tuition as the children of a Methodist minister.
As older siblings graduated and began their careers, they helped fund the younger ones’ tuition. Education, service, and Syracuse loyalty became a way of life.
A Fifth Generation Walks the Quad
This spring, Juliana Webster G’25 became the 35th member of the combined Bradley and Webster families to graduate from Syracuse University. She earned a master’s degree in Social Work, proudly carrying forward a family legacy that began 130 years prior.
Juliana’s paternal grandparents, Donald Webster ’59 and the late Patricia Bradley Webster ’59, connected the two families. Juliana was inspired by her grandparents to study at Syracuse and fondly remembers a campus visit with her grandfather. “We walked around together, and it was really special because we went to Crouse College, which is where Pop went—and it felt like home immediately,” she said.
Between them, the two families now hold 46 degrees from Syracuse University, SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and former affiliated partner Utica University …
First published by Syracuse Stories. Written by Jay Cox.
