[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JAMES J. DRADDY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 1999

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, there are people who accomplish so much that 
even when viewed over the course of a lifetime, it seems larger than 
life.
  Jim Draddy is such a person. He left Manhattan College in 1942 and 
joined the war effort, serving in the Army Signal Corps doing 
cryptanalysis on German and Japanese codes.
  He left the service in 1946 and went into the music business at 
Columbia Records. There, in 1954, he rose to become National Director 
of Promotion. Between 1956 and 1975 he served as Sales Manager for 
Philco, Magnavox, Motorola and Packard Bell and for the next six years 
he was Vice President of Liberty Music.
  He then moved from bringing music to peoples' ears to using his 
golden tongue as Director of Public Relations for the New York Medical 
School from 1981 to 1984 and then brought his talent to Our Lady of 
Mercy Medical Center as Director of Public Affairs from 1984 to 1996. 
He then served for two more years as Consultant for Public Affairs.
  But Jim did not limit himself to mere work. He was Chairman of the 
Board of Directors of Daytop Village, a member of the Bronx Chamber of 
Commerce, a member of Community Board #12, a Board Member of the 
Dominican Sisters in Ossining, and, of course, a member of the Friendly 
Sons of St. Patrick of Westchester.
  He and his wife Patricia have seven children and nine grandchildren. 
Jim has been a great and dear friend of mine for many years. A 
retirement party is usually joyous, but for me, and all Jim's 
colleagues, our joy in knowing him is tempered by his leaving. We can 
only wish him well.

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