John Benton Dudley. With the qualifications of a lawyer of sound learning and long and successful experience, the appointment of John Benton Dudley to the Supreme Court Commission in April, 1915, by Governor Williams was regarded with peculiar satisfaction by all interested in the workings of that commission and not alone by the republican party, of which Mr. Dudley is the only representative on the commission, He has been in practice at Norman for fifteen years, and stands high among the bar of the entire state. He is now chairman of the executive council of the Oklahoma State Bar Association, and is a member of the Cleveland County and the American Bar Association.

A native of Tennessee, he was born at Lobelville December 20, 1877. The Dudley family came from Scotland and located in North Carolina during colonial days. George W. Dudley, his father, was born in North Carolina in 1847, grew up and married in that state, and shortly after his marriage moved to Tennessee, where he became a farmer and stock raiser and died at Lobelville in 1888. He was an active member of the Christian church and in politics a democrat. The maiden name of his wife was Charlotte Greer, who was born in Tennessee in 1853 and died in that state in 1890. Their children were: Ida, who died unmarried at the age of twenty; W. H. Dudley, a farmer at Lobelville; John Benton; W. S. Dudley, a farmer at Lobelville; Ada, wife of Clint Shepard, a farmer at Lobelville; George M., who is in the railroad shops at Amarillo, Texas.

John Benton Dudley was only ten years of age when he lost his father and shortly afterwards was made an orphan by the death of his mother. He grew up in his native section of Tennessee, and after finishing a high school course at Lobelville paid his way by teaching for about four years in his native state. In 1896 he was graduated Bachelor of Science from the State Normal School at Dickson, Tennessee, and thus continued his work in educational lines for one year. Entering the Southern College of Law at Nashville, he gained his degree LL. B. in 1900.

In 1901 Mr. Dudley came West and established his home and practice at Norman, Oklahoma, and bis law offices are now in the Walsh Building at Norman.

For three years, 1903-05, Mr. Dudley served as city attorney of Norman. He was a member of the Norman School Board five years, and has considerable business interests, being a director of the First National Bank of Noble and a stockholder in the First National Bank of Norman. Fraternally he is affiliated with Purcell Lodge No. 1260, Benevolent and Protective Order Elks, with Norman Lodge No. 38, American Free and Accepted Masons, with Norman Chapter 24, R. A. M, with Norman Commandery No. 38, Knights Templar, with India Temple of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Oklahoma City, and has taken fourteen degrees in the Scottish Rite in the Valley of Guthrie Consistory No. 1. He also belongs to Norman Lodge No. 7 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

In December, 1905, at Norman Mr. Dudley married Miss Maud Wingate. Her father was the late W. W. Wingate, a miller and grain dealer. They are the parents of two children: Paul, born December 11, 1907; and J. B. Jr., born November 16, 1911.