Alvin Ferst, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 6, 1922 to Alvin Ferst, Sr. and Doris Marks Ferst. Ferst graduated from the Georgia School of Technology in 1943 after completing a degree in industrial management. He enlisted in the United States Navy in the USA Constitution Battalion (Seabees) division during World War II. In 1946, Ferst returned to Atlanta where he was hired as an industrial engineer and manager at Rich's department store. Ferst married Charlotte Boyette, who also worked at Rich's department store, in March 1950. Their first daughter, Mary Lane, was born in 1952 followed by twin girls, Sylvia Leigh and Doris Leslie, in 1954. Alvin Ferst, having risen to become Executive Vice President and Treasurer, retired from Rich's after thirty-five years of service to establish his own business and real estate consulting firm, Alvin Ferst Associates, Incorporated. In addition to his business responsibilities, Ferst was a leading philanthropist. He served as an executive member in local chapters of national organizations, including the Atlanta Kiwanis Foundation, the United Way, and the Young Men's Christian Association. He was also an active civic leader and served on the board of Central Atlanta Progress, TransFact Incorporated, and the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He died in 2009. Charlotte Ferst was primarily a homemaker until the 1960s when she became a patron of the Atlanta Arts Association, an organization which evolved into the High Museum of Art. Ferst later served as a board member of several other Atlanta arts organizations, including the Atlanta Arts Alliance, the Woodruff Arts Center, and the Atlanta College of Art. She was named Atlanta Woman of the Year in the Arts for her work in 1968. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter appointed Ferst to the newly formed Institute of Museum Services. She also became involved with the National Museum Board, the Museum Trustees Association, and the American Association of Museums. She remained active with the High Museum of Art serving as a board member and a life trustee until her death in 2003.