J. J. Haverty

James Joseph "J. J." Haverty (1858-1939) was the founder of Haverty Furniture Co., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
He has been called the first "important collector of works of art" in Atlanta, with an eye for American Impressionist and Realist paintings, including work by Childe Hassam, Maria Turner, Albert P. Ryder, Jonas Lie and Henry O. Tanner. During the 1920s, he was a major supporter of New York's Grand Central Art Galleries, and he organized a series of successful exhibitions of American art at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel. These events lead to the creation of Atlanta's High Museum of Art. Many Haverty collection paintings were donated posthumously to the High and remain in the museum's permanent collection.
The son of Irish immigrants, Haverty also was a devout Catholic who was named a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Pius XI and helped found the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. He began his first job, as a clerk for local dry goods merchant John Ryan, when he was fourteen. He also took Havertys public just before the stock market crash of 1929.
The book entitled "Villa Clare: The Purposeful Life and Timeless Art Collection of J.J. Haverty" by Haverty's great grandson, William Rawson Smith, and published by Mercer University Press tells the self made retailer's story and describes his many contributions to the arts, religion and business. J. J. Haverty's grandson, Rawson Haverty, has written "Ain't the Roses Sweet", a self-published book about the Haverty family and the furniture company.