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History |
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Arthur Serviss Dudley, the "father" of McClellan Air Force Base, left a
lasting impression on the military history of the United States.
A native of West Salem, Wisconsin, Dudley graduated from the Illinois
College of Photography in 1903. He then came to California and began
the College of Photography in Palo Alto.
When the school was severely damaged by the 1906 earthquake, Dudley
moved to Pennsylvania, where he edited a camera magazine. Returning to
California in 1915, Dudley became an executive with the Chamber of
Commerce in San Jacinto. He then worked in the Riverside County and Los
Angeles chambers. There he had an important part in convincing the Army
to establish the airfield that is now March AFB. He went to Sacramento
in 1920, where he was hired by the local chamber.
As the first paid executive of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of
Commerce, and as founder of the National Air Frontier Defense
Association, Dudley was instrumental in both the establishment of
McClellan Field and the reactivation of Mather Field.
In 1934, he spearheaded the promotional work of the association,
alerting the country to the critical need to expand its air defenses,
and convincing Congress to build a number of new air bases.
Because of Dudley's air defense promotional efforts, General Oscar
Westover, Chief of the Air Corps, called the Sacramento leader in 1935
and said, "We have to build a supply and repair depot on the West Coast
to replace Rockwell Field (in San Diego). Do you want that or do you
want Mather reactivated?" Without hesitation, Dudley replied, "We'll
take the repair base."
Dudley assisted Air Corps officials in choosing a suitable location for
the new depot, and succeeded in obtaining options on the land before
public knowledge of the project could lead to skyrocketing expense for
the government.
After a short stint in Sacramento, he moved on to similar positions in
Stockton and Oregon, then came back to Sacramento in 1927, becoming
secretary manager of the Sacramento Chamber...a job he held until his
retirement in 1950.
Dudley died on February 16, 1977, at the age of 94.
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