A Graduate Once... An Alumni Forever

Charles LaPradd

Charles W. LaPradd played college football for the University of Florida from 1950 to 1952 and was recognized as an All-American as a defensive lineman. He later served as the president of St. Johns River Community College (SJRCC) from 1966 to 1972.

He attended Ketterlinus High School where he lettered in football, baseball and basket-ball, but left school to join the U.S. Army before graduation. After serving in the U.S. Army paratroops, he returned to Ketterlinus to finish his remaining high school diploma requirements in 1948. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. The Green Bay Packers selected LaPradd in the 25th round in the 1952 NFL Draft, but was injured in a car accident on the day he graduated from college and never had the opportunity to play in the National Football League.

He earned his master’s degree in secondary school administration and his doctoral degree in higher education administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee where he worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Florida State Seminoles football team. He served as an assistant coach for the Seminoles from 1957 to 1961 and the FSU dean of men for two years.

He was active in the Gainesville Community including being a past president of Rotary and past president of the Quarterback Club. He had been a member of the UF Letterman Club and Florida Blue Key.

LaPradd was a “Gator Great” member of the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame in 1998. The Dr. Charles W. LaPradd Ph.D Fellowship Fund was endowed at the University of Florida for the benefit of doctoral candidates in the university’s college of Health and Human Performance.