 Bradford's surname was changed from Bradford to Tazewell when the Virginia legislature gave him permission to adopt the name of his distinguished maternal grandfather, Littleton Waller Tazewell, who was Governor of Virginia and one of the state's most revered leaders in 19th century politics, but who had no male heir.This change was made after Bradford's days at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and at the University of Virginia, where records show him as "T. Bradford" or "L.W.T.Bradford".