During the Great Depression , residents of the city contemplated abandoning the airport because of the cost of maintenance , but in 1935 Brothers Fred and Al Key , managers of the airport , thought of a way to keep the airport operating . From June 4 until July 1 , 1935 , the brothers flew over the city in their plane , the " Ole Miss . " The record they established in their 27 days aloft , totaling 653 hours and 34 minutes , attracted enough publicity and funds to the city to keep the airport running . Key Field is therefore named after the brothers , whose flight endurance record remains unbroken in conventional flight .