TITLE
Title
RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF THE LATE DR. JOSEPH LOUIS DUDLEY, SR.
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston
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RESOLUTION
Resolution
WHEREAS, Dr. Joseph Louis Dudley, Sr. was born in Aurora, North Carolina in 1937, and departed this life on February 8, 2024; and
WHEREAS, born the fifth of eleven children, a young Joe Dudley suffered from a speech impediment, labeled developmentally challenged, and held back in school; eventually overcoming disparate societal treatment and challenging the status quo to become a successful business tycoon; and
WHEREAS, in 1957, while a student at North Carolina A&T College (now NC A&T State University), Mr. Dudley purchased a ten dollar ($10) Fuller Products sales kit and used the proceeds to fund his college courses; later graduating with a Business Administration degree; and
WHEREAS, the mentorship from Samuel B. Fuller assisted in catapulting Mr. Dudley into a passionate and driven businessman with a compelling marketing acumen; creating Dudley Hair Care Products Company with his wife Eunice; developing formulas and mixing products in their kitchen; building a world-renown brand with a creed of developing African American entrepreneurs; and launching the nationwide Dudley Beauty School System, a hotel and the Dudley Cosmetology University in Kernersville, which trained tens of thousands of cosmetologists worldwide; and
WHEREAS, he became a millionaire before the age of forty (40); shared his success as an international speaker; and authored Walking By Faith: I AM, I CAN AND I WILL; and
WHEREAS, Dudley Products was listed in the Top 50 in Black Enterprise Magazine’s Top 100 Black Owned Businesses; Dr. Dudley received the Point of Light Award from former President George H. W. Bush, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from former President Barack Obama, the Maya Angelou Tribute to Achievement Award, Inc. Magazine’s North Carolina Master Entrepreneur Award, the Horatio Alger Award, and numerous other accolades; and featured in the Chris Rock documentary, Good Hair, which showcased the company and its global impact in the African American hair care industry; and
WHEREAS, this beloved patriarch dedicated his life to humanitarian endeavors, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship; a visionary and advocate for a strong work ethic; impacting countless individuals by sharing his tremendous international business acuity; known for his ground-breaking achievements in the beauty manufacturing and distribution industry; guided by his faith, passion for excellence, and his ambition to live by his mantra of ‘I am, I can, and I will’; and evidenced by love for his family, son Joe L. Dudley Jr., daughters Ursula Dudley Oglesby (Mark) and Genea Dudley Gidey (the late Abay Gidey); his grandchildren, Mark Oglesby Jr., Elena Oglesby, Noah Gidey; his siblings, William Dudley, Cornelius (CC) Dudley (Emma), Mardecia Dudley (Pete), Elsie Little (Juarez), MacArthur Dudley, George Dudley (Blanche); and his beloved former wife and business partner Eunice M. Dudley.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners wishes to honor an enduring legacy that is nearly six (6) decades strong, and express our admiration and appreciation for the life of Dr. Joseph Louis Dudley, Sr. and salute his many accomplishments; and that a copy of this resolution be presented to his family as a symbol of gratitude for his leadership skills, entrepreneurial talents, and dedicated service to both country and community.
ADOPTED this 4th day of April 2024.
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Adopt a resolution honoring the life and memory of the late Dr. Joseph Louis Dudley, Sr.
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