Tilford E. Dudley Digital Archives
Tilford Eli Dudley (1907-1990) was born to
Dr. Gerry Dudley and Mrs. Esther Shoot Dudley
in Charleston, Illinois, on April 21, 1907. He
served as a member of Franklin D. Roosevelt's
New Deal Administration and became an
influential labor lawyer. The contributions Tilford
Dudley made to his country and community
merit recognition and remembrance of his life
which began in Charleston
Tilford attended the Lab School at
Eastern Illinois State Teachers
College and received a diploma from
Eastern State High School in 1924.
He left Charleston to attend
Wesleyan University, graduating in
1928. That same year, he married
Martha Ward, and the couple had
three children: Gerric, Donnica, and
Martha. Tilford graduated in 1931
from law school at Harvard
University, setting the stage for
his career.
In Washington, D.C. Tilford worked for the
Federal Relief Administration, the Suburban
Resettlement Program, the National Labor
Relations Board, and the War Labor Board. He
left his government post in 1944 to work for the
United Packinghouse Workers and later the
Committee of the Congress of Industrial
Organizations. He eventually became the
director of the AFL-CIO Speakers Bureau.
Tilford made a career of fighting for causes
including civil rights and economic justice.
The EIU Historical Administration program, in conjunction with the Coles County Historical Society, prepared a series of public lectures and an exhibition to highlight his accomplishments and contributions. Click on one of the links below to learn more about one of Charleston's most famous sons.
