John Walter Lambeth, Sr. was born on May 25, 1868, near Thomasville, North Carolina. Lambeth was a banker, furniture manufacturer, and local politician. He was connected with the Standard Chair Company until he organized the Lambeth Furniture Company, which venture he operated until 1928. From 1901 to 1908, he served as mayor of Thomasville, North Carolina. He died in Winston-Salem on July 3, 1934.