[1][2] Frederick's father, Josiah Bradlee (1837-1902), had married Alice, daughter of Francis Boardman Crowninshield (1809-1877), Speaker of the House of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1848 and 1849,[3] of the "Brahmin" Crowninshield family that had lived in Massachusetts since the 17th century.

During Bradlee's three years as a starter for Harvard, he played on teams that included College Football Hall of Famers Huntington Hardwick, Eddie Mahan and Stan Pennock.

His son, Ben Bradlee, wrote of his father's professional experience as follows: After football, 'B' Bradlee rose quickly like all Brahmin athletes of that era from bank runner, to broker, then vice president of the Boston branch of an investment house called Bank America Blair Company.

Next day, the Depression, and my old man was on the road trying to sell a commercial deodorant and molybdenum mining stock for companies founded and financed by some of his rich pals.

Bradlee suffered an aortic aneurysm and died in April 1970 in Beverly, Massachusetts, at age 77.