James Benson Dudley (November 2, 1859 – April 4, 1925) was President of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 1896 until his death in 1925.

After going through the public school system, Dudley attended the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1880, at age 21, Dudley passed the North Carolina state exam required to obtain a teacher's certificate.

[2] The following year, due to his success, he was elected principal of Peabody Graded School in Wilmington, North Carolina, still aged only 21.

[1] He was also register of deeds in Wilmington for a period of time, and organized the Perpetual Building and Loan Association.

Later that year, he was made secretary of the board, a position he served in until 1896 when the President, John O. Crosby, resigned.

He wanted the men and women who attended his college to be able to get jobs and "raise the standard of living among their people."

His additions to the curriculum included the teaching of carpentry; woodturning; bricklaying; blacksmithing; animal husbandry; horticulture and floriculture; mattress and broom making; shoemaking; poultry raising; tailoring; electrical engineering; and domestic science.

In early April, Dudley left the college due to sudden severe headaches to go home and rest.

For several days Dudley was able to attend to his duties from his home, until he unexpectedly died on April 4, 1925, at the age of 65.

[1] Dudley was buried in the Pine Forest cemetery on the northern end of 16th street in Wilmington, his home town.