Obituaries - Oct. 22, 1999

Stanley L. Dritz; Popularized Zippers

Stanley L. Dritz, 88, the last of four brothers who made their family name famous through a line of zippers and other sewing accessories. Dritz was president of John Dritz & Sons, which manufactured hundreds of sewing items, from hooks and snaps to seam rippers and electric scissors. One of Dritz’s most successful products was based on a hookless fastener he saw in England. He said it made a zipper sound and dubbed it a zipper. Although others, including B.F. Goodrich, claimed to have named the zipper, Dritz expanded its popular appeal by using plastic and rustproof metals and marketing it in eye-catching packages and displays. Dritz was born in New York City in 1911 and after graduating from Syracuse University joined the business founded by his father. The company initially produced beaded handbags, but it changed its focus to sewing notions after Dritz and his brothers Lawrence, Eugene and Arthur joined the business. Dritz was president during the 1950s and 1960s and retired after selling the company, which is now owned by Prym Dritz Corp. of Spartanburg, S.C. On Saturday in White Plains, N.Y.

Zeng Liansong; Designed China’s Flag

Zeng Liansong, 82, a Shanghai clerk whose design of five gold stars on a red background was chosen by Mao Tse-tung to be the national flag of mainland China. Zeng was secretary for a Shanghai news agency when he entered a contest to design a flag for the newly founded People’s Republic of China in 1949. He came up with a pattern of five-point yellow stars in the upper left-hand corner and four smaller stars forming a crescent next to a larger one. The larger star represented the Communist Party of China, and the smaller stars stood for the Chinese people. Together, they were meant to symbolize the unity of the Chinese under the leadership of the party. Out of almost 3,000 entries, Zeng’s was selected and sent to Mao for approval. Mao personally hoisted the flag for the first time over Tiananmen Square in Beijing when he announced the founding of the people’s republic on Oct. 1, 1949. Zeng was awarded 5 million yuan in the old currency for his design, about 500 yuan--or $60--in today’s currency. On Tuesday in Shanghai.