Charles E. Beatley, Jr. (May 17, 1916 – December 29, 2003) was an American politician who was the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. A native of Ohio, Beatley earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University in 1938, and received his master's degree in 1947. As a civilian pilot, he flew for

Pan American-Grace Airways Pan American-Grace Airways, also known as Panagra, and dubbed "The World's Friendliest Airline" was an airline formed as a joint venture between Pan American World Airways and Grace Shipping Company. On September 13, 1928, a small single-engine ...

between college degrees.Sullivan, Patricia and Vogel, Steve
"Alexandria Mayor Was City's Longest-Serving"
'' The Washington Post'', 01 January 2004. Accessed 01 February 2018. He also ferried military planes to overseas bases as a civilian pilot during World War II. Elected to the Alexandria City Council in 1966 as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Beatley became mayor the following year, and served until 1976, when he was defeated by former Virginia delegate

Frank E. Mann Frank E. Mann (May 1, 1920 – April 25, 2007) was a politician from the state of Virginia. He served as mayor of Alexandria from 1961 to 1967 as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat and again from 1976 to 1979 as an independent. He w ...

, who ran as an Independent. After retiring from United Airlines, Beatley ran again for mayor at the urging of local Republicans and Democrats, was elected in a landslide, and served until 1985. Beatley became known for preserving Alexandria's historic heritage while revitalizing its business district, as well as for promoting both local and regional public transportation as a board member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He lost reelection by 2,000 votes in 1985 to Jim Moran, who would later serve as a member of congress representing the surrounding area. One of his aides,

Del Pepper Redella S. "Del" Pepper (born 1937 or 1938) is an American politician who served on the Alexandria, Virginia city council from 1985 until the beginning of 2022 and vice mayor (most votes among council members) 1996 to 1997 and 2003 to 2009. She an ...

, won election to the city council in 1985 and served for 36 years until 2021. The Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library of the Alexandria library system and the nearby Charles Beatley Bridge (which crosses Holmes Run) in Alexandria are named in his honor.

References

1916 births 2003 deaths American people of World War II Virginia Democrats Mayors of Alexandria, Virginia Politicians from Columbus, Ohio Ohio State University alumni United Airlines people Virginia city council members 20th-century American politicians Commercial aviators {{Virginia-mayor-stub