In 1991 Charles E. Bradley, Sr. and his son Charles E. Bradley, Jr., founded Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. CPS is a company that employs over 800 people in five different states but still manages to maintain a family-style environment. We recognize our employees are the backbone of the company and we want to see everyone succeed professionally and personally.
We established The Charles E. Bradley, Sr. Scholarship Fund to assist students of CPS employees who may not otherwise be able to attend college due to financial constraints or personal hardships.
Through this scholarship we honor Charles E. Bradley Sr., and pay homage to his legacy of leadership, resilience and vision for a prosperous company. Getting an education is one of the most important achievements in life. CPS is honored to help the students of our employees make that achievement a reality.
Applying
The application is now open to all eligible high school seniors of CPS employees. Applications and accompanying documents must be submitted by March 15, 2025. The application process consists of an online registration form, student-written essay, certified copy of high school transcripts, and letters of recommendation (optional).
Selection
Preference will be given to students who display academic achievement, financial need, and creative content. The current scholarship fund equals $40,000. We will select four winners to receive a $10,000 one-time award. Scholarship money can be used for any educational expenses, including but not limited to: tuition, room and board, and/or books.
The recipient will be announced on or before June 1, 2025.
Charles "Charlie" E. Bradley, Sr.
8/25/1929 - 7/27/2017
Charlie was born on August 25, 1929 in Lawrence, MA. After attending Yale University he served in the Navy from 1951 to 1953 where his speciality was aerial intelligence.
In 1957 he married Noel Kimball and they settled in Darien, CT where they raised five children: Elizabeth, Brad Jr., Leslie, Kimball and Noel.
Charlie joined the elite public accounting firm of Price Waterhouse and was named a partner in 1965, at which time he was the youngest partner in the 75-year history of the firm. In 1982 Charlie formed his own firm, Stanwich Partners. Stanwich Partners specialized in leveraged buyouts, acquiring companies in conjunction with their own management teams.
In 1990 a small bank in Orange County, CA had experienced some success with its sub-prime auto finance business plan, but was getting regulatory pressure to get out of the business. Charlie’s son, Brad, was working at one of the investment banks that met with the Orange County bank. Brad discussed the sub-prime auto finance opportunity with his father and those discussions led to the formation of Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc., on March 8, 1991. The original financial backing for the company, $3.5 million, was provided by Charlie and some of his partners.
Charlie served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CPS from 1991 until he retired from the Board in 2001. Charlie and Noel retired in Darien and spent their time golfing, traveling and doting on their 11 grandchildren.