More Than a Century of Success
In 1905, Dudley, Georgia, was a very young town, having been chartered only fourteen years earlier. Named for Senator Dudley Mays Hughes, the town’s population was less than 300 individuals, and most people having business in the county seat at Dublin still navigated the ten-mile journey on horseback or in a horse-drawn buggy.
On August 31, 1905, eighteen stockholders met in Dudley to discuss the community’s need for a bank. The charter listing for the Bank of Dudley was approved on October 2 of the same year. Our bank opened its doors for the first time in November with total assets of $25,000: $15,000 in capital stock and $10,000 in deposits.
Over the coming years, Bank of Dudley grew alongside the fortunes of the farmers and merchants in and around Laurens County. By the 1920s, the bank had become a fixture in the community, helping families make the most of the economic prosperity that followed the conclusion of WWI.
When the Great Depression struck the nation in 1929, Bank of Dudley was uniquely positioned to weather the storm and emerged as the sole bank in Laurens County to survive the economic crisis. Since then, Bank of Dudley has provided an ever-expanding list of banking services for our neighbors. Now with seven locations in Laurens, Twiggs, Monroe, and Houston Counties, our list of neighbors has expanded, too. We’re now proud to offer the latest in banking technologies and conveniences with the same personal service we’ve provided since 1905.
Bank of Dudley Timeline
1905
The initial shareholders meet, the bank’s charter is issued, and Bank of Dudley opens its doors in November.
1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushers in the Great Depression. Through careful management, Bank of Dudley is the only local bank in Laurens County to survive the next ten years of austerity.
1935
Uriah Griffith Bonapart (U.G.B.) Hogan, a relative of original shareholder J.A. Hogan, is elected President of the Bank of Dudley. Hogan’s family owns and operates a large dairy farm between Dudley and Dexter.
1943
In the middle of WWII, U.G.B. Hogan’s son, Rubert L. Hogan, becomes President of the Bank of Dudley.
1964
Upon Rubert’s death, his wife, Gladys Combs Hogan, a long-time member of the Bank of Dudley board, ascends to the Presidency to become one of the first women to hold both board chair and President positions with a Georgia bank.
1988
The Downtown Dublin branch of Bank of Dudley opens.
1994
The Veterans Blvd. branch near the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center opens.
1997
The East Dublin branch opens, bringing convenience to more of our Laurens County neighbors.
1998
Beth Vaughn, Gladys’s granddaughter, is elected chair of the Bank of Dudley Board of Directors.
2014
The Jeffersonville branch, the first branch outside of Laurens County, opens.
2022
The Forsyth branch opens, extending Bank of Dudley’s reach into Monroe County.
2024
The newest branch of the Bank of Dudley opens in Perry, bringing Houston County into our list of neighborhoods served.
