Ambrose F. “Bud” Dudley, founder and former executive director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Football Classic, passed away June 17 after a long illness at the age of 88.

Steve Ehrhart, Dudley’s successor and current executive director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, said, “Bud was one of the giants of the college football world. There wasn’t a finer gentleman in the bowl business than Bud. While he’ll be remembered as a great promoter and a progressive thinker, our intent is to always preserve Bud’s mission for this bowl. And that’s emphasizing patriotism and liberty.”

Visitation will be Thursday, June 19, from 5pm to 7pm at Canale Funeral Home (2700 Union Avenue Extended). Services will be Friday, June 20, at 1:30pm at St. Louis Catholic Church (203 White Station Road).

Any contributions may be made to Shelby Residential & Vocational Services. SRVS is located at 3592 Knight Arnold Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118.

Bud Dudley’s dream of hosting a college football bowl game in his hometown of Philadelphia became reality in 1959 when he founded the Liberty Bowl. After five years in Philadelphia, Dudley played the game in Atlantic City Convention Center in 1964 where the Liberty Bowl was the first bowl game ever played indoors. In 1965, Dudley moved the Liberty Bowl to its current home in Memphis. Over the years the Liberty Bowl, now known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, has flourished and stood as a shining symbol of American patriotism.

Dudley had a life-long involvement with the game of football. As a student at Notre Dame he played halfback in 1940 and 1941. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was president of his class in 1943.

He served as a captain in the Air Force and was lead navigator of a B-24 bomber group. He flew fifty-four missions over Europe, which earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross.

In 1953, Dudley was named Director of Athletics at Villanova where he served until 1957. During his tenure at Villanova, Dudley’s reputation as a creative sports promoter grew as Villanova hosted five “grocery bowls” and attracted 460,000 fans to Philadelphia’s J.F.K. Stadium.

After leaving Villanova, Dudley turned his attention to his dream of creating a college football bowl game in the East. NCAA approval for the new Liberty Bowl came in January of 1959 and the first game was played December 19, 1959. In the proceeding years Dudley attracted a Who’s Who of college football to the Liberty Bowl. Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker, Ernie Davis, Doug Flutie and Bo Jackson played in Dudley-led Liberty Bowl Games. The list of legendary coaches include Bear Bryant, Lou Holtz, Tom Osborne and Vince Dooley.

After 35 years and 35 memorable games, Dudley retired as executive director of the Liberty Bowl in 1994. Throughout his career, Dudley’s love of country was showcased during the patriotic festivities of each annual Liberty Bowl game. He received numerous honors and awards including induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and recognition by national organizations such as the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Notre Dame University and the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

In 2005, the City of Memphis honored Dudley by naming the press box at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium the Ambrose F. “Bud” Dudley Press Box. That same year, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl recognized Dudley’s life time of achievements with its Distinguished Citizen Award.

Dudley was a tireless supporter of numerous community and civic organizations, serving on the boards of Cotton Carnival, Mid-South Fair, Memphis Chamber of Commerce, St. Agnes Academy, United Way of Memphis, Chickasaw Council Boy Scouts, Christian Brothers College, St. Francis Hospital, Baddour Memorial Center, The Assisi Foundation and many others.