Inducted: 1995

BS in Commerce, 1954

Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton is the owner of nine automobile dealerships in Tennessee, Alabama and Texas. He is also engaged in various real estate projects in Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas. In addition to his success in the automobile and real estate industries, he is also the former chairman of the board of directors of Area Bancshares Corporation. During his tenure, it was the largest bank holding company headquartered in Kentucky. He is a former director on the boards of all seventeen subsidiary banks located throughout the Commonwealth. Mr. Gatton has been associated with numerous boards and organizations, he is the recipient of many awards and in 1985, he established the "Bill Gatton Foundation."