View source for James Dudley

{{short description|Baseball player; professional wrestling executive}}
{{other people}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = James Dudley
| image       = James Dudley.png
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1910|5|12}}<ref name=nlbe/>
| birth_place = [[Baltimore, Maryland]], U.S. 
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2004|5|26|1910|5|12}}<ref name=wwebio/>
| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
}}
'''James Dudley''' (May 12, 1910 &ndash; May 26, 2004) was an American [[baseball]] player, [[Manager (professional wrestling)|professional wrestling manager]], and professional wrestling executive. He played [[Negro league baseball]] for nine years but is best known for his time with the [[WWE|World Wide Wrestling Federation]]. Dudley was the first African-American to run a major United States arena ([[Turner's Arena]] in Washington, D.C.).<ref name=wwebio/> He worked with four generations of wrestling's McMahon family and was particularly close with [[Vincent J. McMahon]]. At age 74, he was put back on the company's payroll to show appreciation for his work for the McMahons. He also managed several wrestlers in the WWWF and was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame|WWF Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (1994)|class of 1994]].

== Baseball career ==
Dudley was considered an "excellent athlete" and ran the [[100-yard dash]] in under ten seconds on multiple occasions.<ref name=book55/> Although he showed up for the trials for the 1924 United States Olympic team, he was not allowed to participate because [[African American]]s were not permitted on the team.<ref name=book55/><ref name="Kelley 2000 57">{{cite book|title=The Negro Leagues Revisited: Conversations with 66 More Baseball Heroes|first=Brent P.|last=Kelley|publisher=McFarland|year=2000|isbn=0-7864-0875-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/57 57]|url=https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/57}}</ref> After playing semi-professional baseball in [[Baltimore]], Maryland, Dudley signed with the [[Baltimore Elite Giants]] at age 27. Nicknamed "Big Train", he played [[catcher]] but started out helping [[pitcher]]s warm up in the [[bullpen]].<ref name=book55>{{cite book|title=The Negro Leagues Revisited: Conversations with 66 More Baseball Heroes|first=Brent P.|last=Kelley|publisher=McFarland|year=2000|isbn=0-7864-0875-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/55 55]|url=https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/55}}</ref> Playing alongside two other talented catchers, [[Roy Campanella]] and [[Robert Clarke|Eggie Clarke]], Dudley's playing time was limited.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Negro Leagues Revisited: Conversations with 66 More Baseball Heroes|first=Brent P.|last=Kelley|publisher=McFarland|year=2000|isbn=0-7864-0875-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/55 55–56]|url=https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/55}}</ref> He remained with the Elite Giants until leaving professional baseball in 1945.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Negro Leagues Revisited: Conversations with 66 More Baseball Heroes|first=Brent P.|last=Kelley|publisher=McFarland|year=2000|isbn=0-7864-0875-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/59 59]|url=https://archive.org/details/negroleaguesrevi00bren/page/59}}</ref> In total, he played about 60 games in the Negro leagues.<ref name=nlbe>{{cite web|title=James Dudley|publisher=Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum|url=https://nlbemuseum.com/history/players/dudley.html|access-date=2021-06-25}}</ref>

== Professional wrestling career ==
James Dudley began working for [[Jess McMahon]] in the 1950s, when McMahon was a co-owner of the [[Capitol Wrestling Corporation]].<ref name=cac/> When McMahon and his partners broke away from the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] to form the [[WWE|World Wide Wrestling Federation]] (WWWF) in 1963, Dudley continued to work for McMahon.<ref name=wwebio/><ref name=cac/> Dudley performed many different jobs, from carrying buckets of water to counting ticket sales.<ref name="Kelley 2000 57"/> Dudley was a close friend of [[Vincent J. McMahon]] and continued working for the family when the younger McMahon took over the business from his father; in particular, he drove McMahon's [[limousine]] and served as his [[bodyguard]].<ref name=torch>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Annual_Obituaries_39/article_22859.shtml|title=Specialist: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2004|first=Thomas M.|last=Gallipoli|date=2007-09-18|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=2010-05-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|date=September 1994|title=A Blast From The Past—The Federation Hall Of Fame|journal=World Wrestling Federation Magazine|pages=56–57|id=8756-7792|volume=13|issue=9}}</ref> He has said that he thought of McMahon as a father figure.<ref name=cac/> McMahon later increased Dudley's responsibilities with the company several times, and eventually assigned him to manage [[Turner's Arena]] in Washington, D.C., which made Dudley the first African-American to hold such a position in the United States.<ref name=wwebio/><ref name=cac/> His role required him to oversee several other events, including the ''Town and Country Jamboree'' television show.<ref name=cac/>
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:whitesmoke; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" |"Although he was rarely seen by the fans, James Dudley is one of the most important and influential men in sports-entertainment history. In the 1950s and ‘60s, when fans tuned into WWE's weekly TV show, few realized the enormous role Dudley was playing behind the scenes."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" |''Hall of Fame Inductees''  -WWE.com<ref name=wwebio/>
|-
| style="text-align: left;" |
|}
Dudley [[Manager (professional wrestling)|managed]] several wrestlers, including [[Bobo Brazil]]. Prior to Brazil's matches, Dudley excited the crowds by waving a towel while running to the [[Wrestling ring|ring]].<ref name=wwebio/> He also managed such wrestlers as [[Bearcat Wright]], [[Sailor Art Thomas]], and [[Sweet Daddy Siki]].<ref name=nlbe/> Over time, Dudley's role with the company diminished and he ceased working for them; the company's operations were moved to [[Connecticut]], and Turner's Arena was demolished. Shortly before McMahon's death in 1984, he told his son, [[Vince McMahon|Vincent K. McMahon]], who had taken over control of the promotion (then known as the WWF), "Whatever else you do, you take care of James Dudley."<ref name=cac/> After Vincent J. McMahon's death, Dudley was put back on the company payroll at age 74 and subsequently received several gifts from Vincent K. McMahon to show appreciation for Dudley's contributions to the company.<ref name="cac">{{cite news |last1=McKenna |first1=Dave |title=The Good Fight |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/260228/the-good-fight/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |work=[[Washington City Paper]]|date=February 22, 2002}}</ref> Dudley has been described as an "important cog" in the company, and McMahon once stated that "had there been no James Dudley, the WWF possibly wouldn't exist as it does today".<ref name=cac/> Dudley continued to feel a sense of loyalty to the McMahons and their promotion.<ref name=cac/> Dudley was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame|WWF Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (1994)|class of 1994]] by Vincent K. McMahon.<ref name=wwebio/>

Dudley's final appearance with the company came during the January 3, 2002, episode of ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown!]]''. According to the storyline, [[Stephanie McMahon]] was banned from the [[MCI Center]]. In an attempt to get past security, she pushed Dudley in a wheelchair but was still refused entrance. Following the scene, Dudley left the wheelchair, walked to his seat, and watched the show.<ref name=cac/>

==Personal life==
Dudley continued to live in [[Washington, D.C.]], after retiring from professional wrestling. He had 38 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren.<ref name=cac/> Dudley died of [[natural causes]] on May 26, 2004, at the age of 94.<ref name=wwebio/><ref name=torch/>

==Awards and accomplishments==
*'''[[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]]'''
:*[[WWE Hall of Fame|WWF Hall of Fame]] ([[WWE Hall of Fame (1994)|Class of 1994]])<ref name=wwebio/>

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="wwebio">{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/superstars/jamesdudley|title=James Dudley|website=[[WWE]].com|publisher=[[WWE]]|access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>
</references>

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|nm0240130|James Dudley}}
* {{Professional wrestling profiles|cagematch=1349|wrestlingdata=9195|iwd=james-dudley-940}}
{{WWE Hall of Fame}}
{{Good article}}

{{Portal bar|United States}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dudley, James}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Chauffeurs]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling executives]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets]]
[[Category:Baltimore Elite Giants players]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
[[Category:Baseball catchers]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Baltimore]]