Vincent dePaul Draddy

Vincent dePaul Draddy (January 31, 1907 – July 8, 1990) was an American entrepreneur and scholar-athlete at Manhattan College, who later served as chairman of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Vincent dePaul Draddy
Draddy in 1981
Born	(1907-01-31)January 31, 1907[1] New York, New York, U.S.
Died	July 8, 1990(1990-07-08) (aged 83) Port Chester, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Manhattan College
Occupation	Sportswear entrepreneur
Known for	Chairman of the College Football Hall of Fame
Spouses	Ruth Crystal ​ ​ (m. 1932; died 1974)​ Maria Gamio

Biography

Draddy attended New Rochelle High School in New York state, where he played sports and was a teammate of Bill Morton.^[2]

While at Manhattan College, Draddy played football, basketball, and golf.^[3] He was captain of the Manhattan Jaspers football team in 1929.^[4] He was a 1930 graduate of the college, and was inducted to its athletic hall of fame in 1979.^[3] Draddy Gymnasium on the college's campus is named in honor of his first wife and first son, who were both killed in an automobile accident in 1953.^[4]

Draddy worked for 40 years for David Crystal, Inc., of Manhattan's Seventh Avenue,^[4] having married the daughter of the eponymous founder of that firm in 1932.^[5] He ultimately became chairman of the company, and helped to popularize both the Izod and Lacoste brands.^[4]

Draddy served the National Football Foundation (NFF) and its College Football Hall of Fame for 33 years, including 19 years as the chairman of its board of directors. The Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, now known as the William V. Campbell Trophy, is awarded annually by the NFF and is given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.^[3]

Draddy died in Port Chester, New York, in 1990 from pulmonary fibrosis, aged 83.^[4] He was posthumously inducted to the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.^[6]