James Benson Dudley High School is located in the southeastern quadrant of

Guilford County Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. S ...

in the city of

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

. Dudley High School was founded in 1929 as the first black high school in Guilford County, in a school system segregated by law. The school was named for James Benson Dudley.

History

The high school building was designed by architect

Charles C. Hartmann Charles C. Hartmann (1889–1977) was an American architect. A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The include: * Alamance Hotel, Maple Ave. and S. Main St. Burlington, NC (Hartmann, Charles) * Atlan ...

and built in 1929. James B. Dudley Senior High School is a three-story, "U"-shaped, brick building with

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

and Collegiate Gothic design elements. It has a one-story slightly projecting entrance portico with

Doric order The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of c ...

columns (added in the mid-1970's), a stepped

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

, and crenellated stair towers. The gymnasium was attached in 1936. A separate brick gymnasium building was constructed in 1959. James Benson Dudley Senior High School and Gymnasium was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2003. The school was central to the 1969 Greensboro uprising when school officials refused to recognize the validity of a write-in candidate for student council, allegedly due to his activism in the Black Power movement. In 1971 through desegregation, Dudley's student population integrated. Today, the make-up of the school consists of a diverse student enrollment with a predominantly African-American population. Dudley has a traditional education program as well as the Dudley Science, Math, and Technology Academy magnet program. The Science, Math, and Technology Academy provide high-caliber students a strong college preparatory background, which emphasizes mathematics and science along with sufficient writing, research, and technological skills. During their senior year, Dudley Academy Students attend classes on college campuses. Dudley won 2 back-to-back football rings. The school colors are Blue and Gold. Dudley High School has an Advance Vehicle Technology(AVT) Team that competes in an international competition called the Shell Eco Marathon.

Notable alumni

* Elreta Melton Alexander-Ralston (class of 1934), first African-American judge in North Carolina, first black woman to graduate from

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

* Tom Alston, first African-American

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

David Amerson David Amerson (born December 8, 1991) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at North Carolina State University and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was also a mem ...

(class of 2010), football player for Oakland Raiders *

Clarence Avant Clarence Alexander Avant (born February 25, 1931) is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer, who also went by the name of "The Black Godfather". Avant's 75th birthday was celebrated by ''Billboard'' in its February 2006 i ...

, music executive, known as "Godfather of Black Music", left Dudley in junior year (1947) * Ezell A. Blair, Jr. (class of 1959), African American civil rights activist, one of

Greensboro Four The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in February to July 1960, primarily in the Woolworth store—now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum—in Greensboro, North Carolina, which led to the F. W. Woolworth Comp ...

, graduated from Dudley High School *

Joey Cheek William Joseph Cheek (born June 22, 1979) is an American former speed skater and inline speed skater. He specialized in the short and middle distances and won Olympic gold in 2006. Currently Cheek is a media entrepreneur. Accomplishments Cheek' ...

(class of 1997), speed skater and former inline speed skater,

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...

gold medalist *

King Virgil Cheek King Virgil Cheek, J.D. is a lifelong educator who has served as President of Shaw University from 1969 to 1971, and also served as the 7th President of Morgan State University from 1971 to 1974. He was an active participant in the Civil Rights ...

(class of 1955), former President of Shaw University and

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...

Brett Claywell Brett Quillen Claywell (born April 11, 1978, Greensboro, North Carolina) is an American actor best known for playing the roles of Tim Smith on The WB/ CW series ''One Tree Hill'', and Kyle Lewis on the ABC soap opera '' One Life to Live''. Bi ...

(class of 1996), actor, played Tim Smith on CW series ''

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

'' and Kyle Lewis on ABC soap opera '' One Life to Live'' * Jeff Davis, former NFL player,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

1982–87 and Clemson, 1982 Orange Bowl champion; inducted into College Football Hall of Fame in 2007 *

Marques Douglas Marques Lamont Douglas (; born March 5, 1977, in Greensboro, North Carolina) is a former American football defensive tackle and defensive end who played for five teams in the National Football League during an 11-year career. He was signed by the ...

(class of 1995), former NFL player for San Francisco 49ers, attended Dudley High School * Beverly M. Earle (class of 1961), first black woman to represent Mecklenburg County in North Carolina House of Representatives * Clarence Grier (class of 1983), college basketball player * P. J. Hairston,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

basketball player, transferred to

Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...

for his senior year * Will Graves,

Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa ( he, מכבי חיפה) is one of the biggest sports clubs in Israel and a part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football ...

basketball player *

Brendan Haywood Brendan Todd Haywood (born November 27, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Following his playing ...

(class of 1997), NBA player for

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populou ...

, graduated from Dudley High School *

Hendon Hooker Alan Hendon Hooker (born January 13, 1998) is an American football quarterback. He played college football for Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee in 2021. Early life and high school career Hooker attended James B. Dudley High Sch ...

Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegi ...

Quarterback *

Lou Hudson Louis Clyde Hudson ("Sweet Lou") (July 11, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and a six-time NBA All-Star, scoring 17,940 total points in 1 ...

(class of 1962), NBA player for

St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, 6-time All-Star, graduated from Dudley High School *

Yvonne Johnson Yvonne Johnson was the mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina, from 2007 until 2009. She was previously a member of the Greensboro City Council for 14 years, beginning in 1993 and Mayor Pro-Tem for 6 years. Johnson was the first African-American t ...

(class of 1960), first African-American mayor of Greensboro *

Debra L. Lee Debra L. Lee (born August 8, 1954) is an American businesswoman. She was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BET, the parent company for Black Entertainment Television from 2005 to May 28, 2018. Lee has sat on the board of directors for ...

(class of 1972), President and CEO of BET Holdings, Inc. *

Joyce Martin Dixon Joyce Martin Dixon is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. Career Joyce Martin was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she lived with her family as a child on McConnell Road. She graduated from James B. Dudley High School in 1952, a ...

(class of 1952), businesswoman and philanthropist * Jerry Gantt, former NFL and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

player * Mac McCain (class of 2016), NFL player *

Emmanuel Moseley Emmanuel LaMurel Moseley (born March 25, 1996) is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee. Early years Moseley attended and played high school football ...

(class of 2014), football player for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

Natalie Murdock Natalie S. Murdock is an American politician, Co-Chair of the North Carolina Future Caucus under the Millennial Action Project and a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. Upon being sworn in, she became ...

, politician * Fred Neal (class of 1958), guard for demonstration basketball team Harlem Globetrotters and noted dribbler, attended Dudley High School *

Kenny Okoro Chibuikem Kenneth Okoro (born October 18, 1989) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Wake Forest University and attended James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has ...

, football player *

DeMario Pressley DeMario Pressley (born November 3, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State. Pressley was also ...

(class of 2004), former NFL defensive tackle, graduated from Dudley High School * Lynnae Quick (class of 2001),

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

scientist specializing in planetary

geophysics Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' so ...

and

ocean world An ocean world, ocean planet, panthalassic planet, maritime world, water world or aquaplanet, is a type of planet that contains a substantial amount of water in form of oceans, either beneath the surface, as subsurface oceans, or on the surfa ...

s; first African American awarded the Harold C. Urey Prize; namesake for asteroid 37349Lynnaequick * David L. Richmond (class of 1959), civil rights activist, one of

, graduated from Dudley High School *

Charlie Sanders Charles Alvin Sanders (August 25, 1946 July 2, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1977. Sanders was chosen for the NFL's 1970s All ...

(class of 1964), 2007

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

tight end for

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

, attended Dudley High School * Jessie Carney Smith, librarian and educator * George Simkins, Jr. (class of 1940), civil rights activist,

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

president * Barbara Weathers (class of 1981), soul singer (with

Atlantic Starr Atlantic Starr is an American band based in White Plains, New York. They are best known for the hits " Always", "Secret Lovers", "Send for Me", "Circles", "Silver Shadow" and "Masterpiece". History Atlantic Starr began in Greenburgh, New York w ...

)

Notable faculty

* Nelle A. Coley, famed educator and civil rights activist, taught English at James B. Dudley High School for over thirty years.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dudley, James Benson, Senior High School and Gymnasium African-American history of North Carolina Historically segregated African-American schools in North Carolina School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina 1929 establishments in North Carolina Educational institutions established in 1929 National Register of Historic Places in Guilford County, North Carolina Public high schools in North Carolina Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina Magnet schools in North Carolina

History

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

See also

References

External links