H. Dale Blythe was born on April 11, 1934 to Maggie Bird Blythe and Richard James Blythe in a coal mining camp in Perry County where his father worked as a coal miner. At the age of six, along with his older brother Kenneth and sister, Kathleen, he moved to a small farm in Emlyn, KY where he spent the rest of his childhood. During the year’s he spent at Williamsburg High School, he stayed active in sports, lettering in football, baseball and basketball. Mr. Blythe graduated high school in 1951. Beginning his college education at Cumberland College, Mr. Blythe worked on his undergraduate studies and then transferred to the University of Kentucky in 1953.

Mr. Blythe attended the University of Kentucky and received a BSCE degree in 1956 with an emphasis in structural engineering. Immediately upon graduation in January 1956, he accepted a position as a structural design engineer with the McDowell-Wellman Co. in Cleveland, Ohio. After just two months, he entered the Naval Officers Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, receiving his Ensign commission in 1956 and after Aviation Ground School, received navigator wings. Serving for three years with the Airborne Early Warning Squadron in Hawaii and as a navigator on Midway Island, he logged over 2800 flight hours. From 1959-1962, he returned to his engineering job at McDowell-Wellman Company assuming the responsibilities of a structural design engineer on sintering plants, material handling facilities and heavy-duty industrial structures. Concurrently, he attended the Case Institute of Technology in the evenings where he received his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering. From 1962-1966, Mr. Blythe worked as a structural project manager responsible for precastprestress concrete products.

As a Senior Project Manager for the Cunningham-Limp Company during the period of 1966-1976, he was responsible for the management and coordination of total project efforts, from inception to completion on many multi-million dollar projects in many different states. Mr. Blythe traveled coast-to-coast designing and building major manufacturing facilities. In July of 1976, he and Charles R. Denham formed the Denham-Blythe Company, Engineers and Constructors, in Lexington to design and build turnkey plants and provide construction service to the industrial, commercial, and institutional communities in Central Kentucky and surrounding states. The company has served many industrial clients since its founding, many repeat clients such as Keeneland, Lexmark, Toyota, UK and 3M. Mr. Blythe served as the Executive Vice President, President and CEO in leadership roles during his twenty-seven years of service.

Mr. Blythe joined the Naval Air Reserve unit in Michigan and was assigned to Naval Air Fleet Logistic Transport Squadron supporting the active duty forces throughout the United States and Mediterranean area. Also, he has served as Maintenance Navigation and Commanding Officer in various VR squadrons. In 1986, he retired as a Captain from the United States Navy Reserves after 30 years of continuous service. Registered as a professional engineer in seven states, he belongs to many professional organizations: Life member – ASCE, NSPE, KSPE, SEI, Member of Navy League, Rotary Club, Served on the Advisory Board of Central Bank & Trust, and served as the chairman of the Board of Trustees Administration Board at Southern Hills United Methodist Church.

Dale and his wife, the former Virginia Louis Anderson of Joliet, Illinois, were married on September 2, 1961. They have two children, Diane and Richard, and also have two grandsons. Richard is a minister serving and doing missionary work in Eastern Europe, and Diane is a real estate agent in Las Vegas, Nevada.