Fred Gartner holds a law degree from Temple University and has a background in both public service and private sector leadership. He served in the United States Naval Reserve during World War I and later held positions in the Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission and the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. Gartner transitioned to the private sector, where he managed institutional risk in high-finance before becoming chairman of the board for a manufacturing corporation in Pennsylvania.

Fred Gartner's political identity is marked by an intriguing blend of public service and business leadership, punctuated by controversial foreign policy sympathies. His legislative and civil service roles indicate a deep engagement with state-level governance, yet his chairmanship of a manufacturing corporation suggests a strong alignment with industrial interests. Notably, Gartner's meeting with the German American Bund in 1939 presents a stark ideological tension, revealing a surprising alignment with Nazi ideology amidst his public service career. This juxtaposition compels deeper inquiry into how he reconciles these conflicting stances in his broader political philosophy.