John M Harbert III

John Murdoch Harbert III, engineer, businessman, and civic leader, was born July 19, 1921, in Greenville, Mississippi. The son of John Murdoch Harbert and Mae Schooling Harbert, he received a B.S. degree in civil engineering in 1946 from Auburn University. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor in the State of Alabama. Mr. Harbert served in the U.S. Army (Infantry) from 1942 to 1946. In 1949, he founded the Harbert Corporation and was Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Under his direction, Harebert Construction Corporation operations now include coal mining, limestone quarrying, river barge transportation, land development, a pipeline in Angola, and a water pipeline in Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf. Mr. Harbert also founded the Florida Gas Company, Winter Park, Florida, and served as a director until 1976. In addition, he was a director of the following: American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Birmingham; The First National Bank of Birmingham; Avondale Mills, Sylacauga; Houston Natural Gas Corporation, Houston, Texas; Saint Joe Natural Gas Company, Port Saint Joe, Florida; Engert Corporation, Huntsville. He was a recent developer of Riverchase, a joint venture with Equitable Life, which encompasses a community planned with environmental protection in mind. Mr. Harbert served as chairman of the Governor's Energy Advisory Committee from 1973 to 1977. He was a member and chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board since 1978. Mr. Harbert was a member of the National Council of The Salk Institute, San Diego, a trustee of the Eye Foundation, the Birmingham Art Association, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, London. In addition, he belonged to the Rotary Club of Birmingham, the Board of Governors of The Club, Inc., and the Board of the Riverchase Country Club. Mr. Harbert's hobbies were hunting, fishing, raising trout, and Bonsai. He was married to the former Marguerite Jones and they had three children - John Murdoch, IV, Raymond, and Marguerite. He is now deceased.