Vincent dePaul Draddy

Vincent dePaul Draddy (died July 8, 1990) was a scholar-athlete at Manhattan College. He passionately believed in the premise that excellence on the football field could, and should, be consistent with academic distinction and the highest standards of civic leadership. He thought that young men who combined athletic performance with academic excellence should be recognized.

Vincent de Paul Draddy, an innovative manufacturer of sportswear who introduced the Izod and Lacoste knit shirts to America, died on Sunday at United Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y.

Mr. Draddy, who was 83 years old and lived in Palm Beach, Fla., and Rye, N.Y., died of pulmonary fibrosis, his family said.

Mr. Draddy, an accomplished golfer and a star football player at Manhattan College, was the longtime chairman of the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame, which will move next spring from Kings Island, Ohio, to Memphis.

Football Captain in College

He spent virtually all of his business career with David Crystal Inc., which was founded in 1905 and was one of the oldest women's apparel manufacturers on Manhattan's Seventh Avenue when Mr. Draddy retired in 1974, five years after the concern was sold to General Mills.

Mr. Draddy, who was born in Manhattan, was a graduate of Manhattan College, where he was quarterback and captain of the football team in 1929. He worked for Union Carbide as a salesman for four years, during which time he married Ruth Crystal, the daughter of David Crystal, the dress manufacturer.

In 1934 Mr. Crystal asked his son-in-law to join the business. Mr. Draddy took a one-year leave of absence from Union Carbide. He stayed with David Crystal, retiring as chairman 40 years later.

He took hold quickly on Seventh Avenue and was one of the first manufacturers to use then new synthetics in dresses. The company pioneered in making women's separates, the foundation of what became the sportswear market.

Foreign Apparel Introduced

In 1937 Mr. Draddy engaged the British designer Jack Izod to create and put his name on a line of women's shirts, which became an instant success. David Crystal expanded into men's and children's wear and added accessories to its apparel lines.

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