Donald Hudson
High school and college football coach and athletic director Donald Edward Hudson was born on November 20, 1929, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, where he participated in football and gymnastics. He went on to play football at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, where, in 1953, he received his B.S. degree in physical education and commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Engineers.
Hudson served his military obligation at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri as a platoon leader for the first eight weeks of basic training. He then spent the next year and a half on the DMZ in Korea, where he served as a first lieutenant platoon leader. After military service, he earned his M.Ed. degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Hudson first worked at Lincoln University in the 1950s and 1960s, where he taught in the Health and Physical Education Department and was an assistant football coach, assistant basketball coach, assistant track coach and head golf coach. In 1968, he became the State of Minnesota’s first African American high school head football coach when he was hired at Central High School in Minneapolis.
In December of 1971, Hudson was appointed head football coach of Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, becoming the first African American head football coach at a predominantly white university in the United States in the modern NCAA era. He also served as assistant chairman of the Department of Physical Education and as the men’s head track coach. While at Macalester, he testified before the U.S. Congress on behalf of the NCAA National Summer Youth Program, which he also directed for six years.
Hudson left Macalester College in 1975 and returned to Lincoln University in 1976, where he served as head football coach, head girls track coach, and athletic director for three years. He was later hired as athletic director of Smoky Hill High School in the Colorado Cherry Creek school district, where he worked until 2000.
Hudson was honored for his accomplishments during the half time of a Macalester football game on October 6, 2007. The mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota declared that day “Don Hudson Day” and Hudson was given the keys to the city. In addition, the football offices at Macalester College have been named after Hudson.
Hudson and his wife, Constance, reside in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have six children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Donald Hudson was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 12, 2014.
Hudson passed away on September 30, 2018.
A2014.185
Male

8/12/2014
Hudson
Married
Edward
Westinghouse Academy
Lincoln University
Springfield College
Belmar Elementary School
Baxter Elementary School
Donald
Pittsburgh
HUD06
Fall
Pennsylvania
Beaches
Let's Do It Over Again.

North Carolina
11/20/1929
Charlotte
USA
Bananas
9/30/2018
College football coach Donald Hudson (1929 - 2018 ) served as the head football coach of Macalester College from 1971. He was the first African American head coach at a predominantly white university in the modern NCAA era.
United States Army
Lincoln University
Central High School, Minneapolis
Macalester College
Smoky Hill High School, Colorado
Blue
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656527">Tape: 1 Slating of Donald Hudson's interview</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656528">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson lists his favorites</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656529">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson describes his mother's family background, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656530">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson describes his mother's family background, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656531">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson talks about his maternal family's church band</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656532">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson describes his father's family background, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656533">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson talks about his parents' early relationship</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656534">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson remembers his neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656535">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson describes his likeness to his mother</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656536">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson remembers the Great Depression</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656537">Tape: 1 Donald Hudson describes his earliest childhood memories</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656538">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson talks about the influence of Don Hutson</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656539">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson remembers his first football team</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656540">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson recalls his experiences at Belmar Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656541">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson remembers Ahmad Jamal</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656542">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson recalls his football practice routine, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656543">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson remembers playing football at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656544">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination at Westinghouse High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656545">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson remembers his positions on the football team at Westinghouse High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656546">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson describes his social activities at Westinghouse High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656547">Tape: 2 Donald Hudson remembers his aspirations to attend college</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656548">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson recalls his football practice routine, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656549">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson remember his football coach at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656550">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson recalls his recruitment to Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656551">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson remembers his footballs heroes</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656552">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson describes his experiences of size discrimination on the football team at Lincoln University</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656553">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson talks about his knowledge of football strategy</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656554">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson remembers Coach Dwight T. Reed</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656555">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination in the U.S. Army, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656556">Tape: 3 Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination in the U.S. Army, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656557">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson describes his U.S. Army service in the Korean War</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656558">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson remembers playing football in the U.S. Army</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656559">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson recalls the racial tensions during the Korean War</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656560">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson remembers becoming an assistant coach at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656561">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson recalls his master's degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656562">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson recalls the changes in the football team at Lincoln University</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656563">Tape: 4 Donald Hudson talks about Lincoln University's football league</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656564">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson recalls being hired as head football coach at Minneapolis Central High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656565">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson talks about his search for assistant coaches at Minneapolis Central High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656566">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson recalls his struggle to keep players on the football team at Minneapolis Central High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656567">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson remembers his early games at Minneapolis Central High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656568">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson describes his roles at Minneapolis Central High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656569">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson talks about his experiences at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656570">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson remembers coaching the Macalaster College football team</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/656571">Tape: 5 Donald Hudson remembers recruiting black players for Macalaster College's football team in St. Paul, Minnesota</a>
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