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William Sheldon Dudley (born 14 July 1936 inBrooklyn, New York, USA) is anaval historian of theUnited States Navy, who served as Director of Naval History[1][2] and Director,Naval Historical Center,Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 2004.
The son of William Henry Dudley and his wife Dorothy Lawson Dudley, he attendedWilliams College, where he earned hisBachelor of Arts degree in 1958. After graduation, he joined theUnited States Naval Reserve serving from 1959 to 1963 in the grades of ensign to lieutenant. On leaving active service, Dudley became a history teacher atPoly Prep Country Day School inBrooklyn, New York, while also earning hisMaster of Arts degree in history atColumbia University, between 1963 and 1966. Completing hismaster's degree in 1966 with a thesis on "Pedro de Angelis, 1784-1859: journalist, historian and propagandist", he went on to work on his doctorate, which he completed in 1972 with a dissertation on "Reform and radicalism in the Brazilian Army, 1870-1889". On 21 August 1965, he married Julia Bartel, with whom he had two daughters. After her death, he married Donna Tully on 20 February 2001.
In 1970,Southern Methodist University appointed him assistant professor of history. He remained there until 1977, when theNaval Historical Center appointed him a supervisory historian. Dudley began work on the series "Naval Documents of the American Revolution," beginning with volume 8, under its editor Dr.William J. Morgan. In 1982, Dudley succeeded Morgan as Head, Early History Branch from 1982–1990, during which period he initiated a similar series for the War of 1812, and then succeeded Morgan again as Senior Historian, 1990-1995. In 1995, the Navy Department selected Dudley for aSenior Executive Service appointment to succeed Dr.Dean C. Allard as Director of Naval History. Dudley held this post until his retirement in December 2004.
Dudley served as president of theAmerican Revolution Roundtable in 1987, president of theSociety for History in the Federal Government in 1989-1990, and president of theNorth American Society for Oceanic History, 1999-2003. He has been elected a corresponding member of theMassachusetts Historical Society, a director of theAnnapolis Maritime Museum, and a member of theMaryland Advisory Committee on Archaeology.
