Charles Henry Gartrell was born in Ashland in 1914. Educated at Centre College, he began flying in 1931 at the age of 17 and with ratings of Commercial, Land, Water, Single-engine, Multi-engine and Instrument flew over 6500 hours. Gartrells lifelong involvement with aviation was established early and would eventually lead him, in the boom years that followed World War II, to play an important role in the development of a network of modern airports in Kentucky and the region, a significant factor in the state's efforts to stimulate tourism and other economic development. In 1941 he was named the first chairman of the Kentucky Aeronautics Commission, a position he resigned to enter military service. Besides being a test pilot he also flew missions along the East Coast and is credited with sinking at least one German submarine off the coast of New Jersey. In 1948 Charles was appointed the first Director of the newly created Kentucky Department of Aeronautics, a post he held for nearly 10 years. Following his tenure as Director of Kentucky Department of Aeronautics, he worked as a real estate developer and investment counselor. Gartrell returned to politics and from 1968-1972 and served as mayor of his hometown, Ashland. In 1976, he retired from the Kentucky Cabinet of Human Resources.