Jackson Porter Dick Sr. (1888-1961) was born to Samuel K. Dick (1841-1910) and Eugenia “Deanie” Porter (1862-1948) in Houston, Texas. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1906. During World War I, he was captain in the 66th Artillery in France until 1919. He became director of the Georgia Power Company in 1947 and left to serve as the president of the Atlanta Transit Company in 1950. In 1964, he became chairman of the National Council of the Metropolitan Opera. He also served as president of the Atlanta Music Festival Association. Dick married May Peters Atkinson (1889-1968) in 1916 and they had two children: Jackson Porter Dick Jr. (1918-1977) and Henry Atkinson Dick (1922-1991).

May Peters Atkinson was born to Henry Morrell Atkinson Sr. (1862-1939) and May Peters (1868-1944) in Atlanta, Georgia. Her maternal grandfather was Richard Peters Jr. (1810-1889), who was born to Richard Peters Sr. (1780-1848) and Abigail Willing (1777-1841) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Peters Jr. married Mary Jane Thompson (1830-1911) in 1848. Atkinson Sr. was born to George Atkinson (1822-1915) and Elizabeth Staigg (1823-1904) in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1884, he graduated from Harvard University. Atkinston Sr. established the Georgia Power Company and served as chairman of the board until 1930. George Atkinson and his brother, Edward Atkinson (1827-1905), were born to Amos Atkinson (1792-1864) and Anna Sawyer (1795-1871) in Boston, Massachusetts. Edward Atkinson was a statistician and served as vice president of the Anti-Imperialist League of Boston. He married Mary Caroline Heath (1830-1907).