Born in Houston, Texas, Dudley C. Sharp was the son of Walter Benona Sharp. He graduated from Princeton University in 1928 and joined the Mission Manufacturing Company of Houston, holding many positions within the firm. He served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945. In 1955, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Materiel. Mr. Sharp was appointed Under Secretary of the Air Force in August 1959 and on December 11, 1959, he became Secretary of the Air Force and served until 1961. Sharp died on May 17, 1987. He was 82 years old and lived in Houston, Texas.