- Held several positions in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, serving as special assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, James T. Lynn, from 1973 to 1975; as special assistant to the director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1975 to 1976; and as an assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, from 1976 to 1977.
- White House press secretary for President Ronald Reagan who was shot in the head during John Hinckley Jr.'s unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Reagan in March 1981. The bullet severely damaged the right side of Brady's brain, leaving his left arm and leg paralyzed, impairing his short-term memory, and slightly slurring his speech. As a result, he challenged the powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, by lobbying Congress to enact the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (popularly known as "the Brady Bill"), to demand a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases so that local police can conduct background checks on purchasers. The bill was passed by both houses of Congress in mid-1991.
- Member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity
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