Fred D. Bentley Sr
Founder, Legacy

FRED D. BENTLEY, SR. was born in Marietta, Georgia, in 1926, and passed away in 2019. He grew up in Marietta and attended the Presbyterian College where he received his undergraduate degree. He received his law degree from Emory University. He also attended Wright Junior College, Naval Engineering School, the University of Georgia, and was awarded an honorary Ph.D. of the Humanities by Kennesaw State University.

Since commencement of private practice in 1948, Mr. Bentley has been a senior member of the firms of Bentley & Dew; Bentley & Bartlett; Bentley, Awtrey & Bartlett; Edwards, Bentley, Awtrey & Parker; Bentley & Schindelar; and Bentley, Bentley & Bentley. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the Georgia Bar Association. He has been admitted to practice before the Superior and State Courts of Georgia; Georgia Court of Appeals; Georgia Supreme Court; United States District Court; United States Court of Appeals; and United States Supreme Court, where he serves as a Fellow of the Supreme Court Historical Society.

Mr. Bentley has held memberships, offices and/or honors in the following: Past President of Cobb County Chamber of Commerce; Past State Chairman, Georgia Mental Health Association; Past President, Toastmasters Club; and Chairman, Empty Stocking Fund; Member of Rotary International; Board of Advisors, League of Women Voters; Advisory Board Y.W.C.A.; Life Member, Georgia P.T.A.; Board of Trustees, Cobb Landmarks Society, Inc.; National Historical Society; Marietta Arts Council; High Museum of Art; Former President of Kennestone Hospital Guild; Fellow - American Committee for the British Library; Co-Founder and Board of Trustees, Kennesaw College; Financial Chairman, North Georgia Chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Salmagundi Club; Grand Central Art; Honorary Life Member, Cummer Gallery of Art;  Chairman, Georgia Council for the Arts & Humanities; Trustee, Cobb Symposium; Chairman, Cobb Symposium '84; and Member, Board of Advisors, Georgia Museum. Chairman and founder of the Board of Charter Bank and Trust from 1985-2001, now serves as Chairman Emeritus. Additionally, Mr. Bentley has donated two rare book libraries to Georgia educational institutions - The Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Bentley, Sr. Rare Book Gallery at Kennesaw State University and the Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Bentley, Sr. Rare Book Gallery at Brenau University in Gainseville, Georgia.

Mr. Bentley served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, 1951-1957, and one term in the Georgia Senate, 1958. He was named "Young Man of the Year," 1951, and one of the "Hundred Men of Tomorrow" for the metropolitan Atlanta area by "Time" Magazine, 1953. His other public services and honors include: Professor of Law, Continuing Education, 1968; Gamma Beta Phi, Honorary Fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta; Order of the Golden Key; Alpha Lambda Tau; member of the Governor's Staff; President, Emory University Alumni Association; listed in Who's Who in American Law; Who's Who in the World; Board of Directors, WPBA Broadcasting (Channel 30); Chairman, 7th District Art Committee; recipient of the Clarice C. Bagwell Distinguished Service Award; recipient of the Blue Key Honorary Award, and Volunteer of the Year Award; recipient of the Emory University School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award; recipient of the Marietta High School Distinguished Alumni Award; Fellow - J. Pierpont Morgan Library; Groliers Club;  the first recipient of the Kennesaw State University Golden Circle Award; and served as an attache to the country of Ghana.