William Dudley: a Father of Vanderbilt Athletics

William Dudley: a Father of Vanderbilt Athletics

8/25/2005

by Bill Traughber

The Vanderbilt football field is named for Dr. William L. Dudley.

So, who was William L. Dudley?

Dudley was the Vanderbilt Dean of Medicine from 1895 until his death in 1914. The Covington, Ky., native was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Miami Medical College. He served as president of the Vanderbilt Athletic Association and a member of the National Football Rules Committee.

The Vanderbilt University Athletic Association was formed in 1886 with Dr. W. M. Baskerville as president. In those early days most of the Vanderbilt student body was included in its membership. The early sports played on the Vanderbilt campus were baseball, bicycling, and track and field events.

Dudley was instrumental in organizing the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1893 of which Vanderbilt was a member. Vanderbilt played its first football game in 1890 at Nashville’s Athletic Park (Sulphur Dell), a 40-0 victory over Peabody (University of Nashville).

That game originated with a challenge from Peabody to play a contest on Thanksgiving Day. Dudley viewed the challenge as a serious matter, realizing that the pride of the University was at stake. He therefore called for a meeting of the Athletic Association to discuss the matter.

A meeting was arranged in front of approximately 150 students in the gymnasium. Dudley explained that if the challenge were met, a new era of athletics would be created with the game of football.

Fullback and captain Elliott H. Jones recalled the crucial meeting in an interview from his Kansas City law office many years after graduating from Vanderbilt:

“There followed a general discussion of the whole situation. The difficulties, particularly the shortness of time for preparation, and the fact that regular football had not been theretofore played at Vanderbilt at all, were dealt upon. Many thought that it would be unfair to ourselves to hazard a contest under the circumstances. We knew that Peabody Normal had been playing intramural football for several years.

“The predominating note, however, for discussion was that we had never taken anything off Peabody Normal and should not do now. Finally, P. M. (Pat) Estes, then of St. Louis, made a motion to the effect that the challenge be accepted and that E. H. Jones be authorized and directed to organize and captain a team for the occasion. The motion was unanimously carried.”

Jones also had this to say about Dudley:

“Too much cannot be said about Dr. William L. Dudley in connection with early football at Vanderbilt. Since college days his picture has adored my office wall, and when asked by any one who the gentleman is, I always reply, ‘The best friend of myself and every other student at Vanderbilt, in my college days.’ He went with the team on every trip, and watched over us like a father.

“He was our inspiration as well as our guardian. He was our true and loyal friend, under any and all circumstances, in adversity as well in prosperity. I have never known a more lovable, more genuine friend. I cherish the memory of his friendship above all else in my college experience.”

The original Dudley Field was christened on October 21, 1892 with its first encounter against the University of Tennessee. Vanderbilt won, 22-4. The Vanderbilt Law School presently occupies the old Dudley Field site.

However, as a strong supporter of athletics, Dudley was not sure what to think about the popularity of the new sport of basketball spreading into the South. An interesting letter signed by Dudley as President of the Athletic Association in February 1899, appeared in the university’s publication Hustler:

“The Executive Committee of the Athletic Association desires to express the hope that all students who expect to be candidates for the track, baseball and football teams of the University, in fact, all who have athletic ability, will avoid the game of basketball as played in our gymnasium.

“Our athletes have had bitter experiences with this game in the past, and therefore the committee desires to give warning in due time. The gymnasium is not adapted to the game, and the practice of playing it in their gymnasium suits it unsafe by all experts.

“This game cost us a track championship of the Southern tournament last year and it is hoped that this year we may have winning teams in the field. To bring this result about we must have the hearty cooperation of every student, and no chance should be taken in a game like basketball in which there is nothing at stake.”

In 1900, Vanderbilt began playing basketball seriously as their schedules were increased each year. Apparently some athletes were injured while playing basketball therefore hurting rosters.

Upon his death in 1914, the Nashville Banner gave a summary to Dudley’s sporting participation:

“From the date of his connection with Vanderbilt University, Dr. Dudley manifested a marked interest in Southern athletics, and the athletic field was named in his honor, Dudley Field, which will stand for all time as a monument to his broad conception of the plane on which sports in the Southland should be conducted, is probably the most widely known athletic field in the South.

“His interest in and efforts for the advancement of amateur athletics resulted in his being made a member of the Executive Committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at its organization, in which capacity he served until his increasing work caused him to resign. At the urgent request of the association, however, he remained a member of the National Football Rules Committee. He was an ardent of the advanced rules governing football and was largely instrumental in securing their adoption.”

It was in the early 1900’s that Dudley convinced the rules committee to change the scoring in football. He urged that touchdowns should be given six points instead of five, and field goals three points instead of four. Dudley insisted that the point system at that time was out of proportion.

Dudley died on September 14, 1914, on a train near Chicago. He was en route to Nashville from New York where he was being treated for a kidney ailment that eventually took his life. Dudley had been semi-retired from his duties at Vanderbilt for two years.

On October 14, 1922 the present Dudley Field was dedicated with a 0-0 tie against powerful Michigan. Professor Charles S. Brown, President of the Vanderbilt Athletic Association at the time in dedicating the field said, “To William Lofland Dudley, dean of Southern athletics. Scholar, gentleman and friend, this ground is dedicated and, as Dudley Field, is consecrated to the use of Vanderbilt and her sons forever.”

Next week read about a Vanderbilt football team meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in The White House.

If you have any comments or suggestions you can contact Bill Traughber via e-mail WLTraughber@aol.com.