The unofficial “Mayor” of Auburn Avenue, John Wesley Dobbs, was born in Marietta, Georgia, and married Irene Ophelia Thompson in 1906. Their union resulted in six daughters: Irene Carolyn, Willie Juliet, Millicent Doris, Josephine Ophelia, Mattiwilda, and June Serena, all of whom graduated from Spelman College. Dobbs was the grandfather of Maynard Jackson Jr., the first African American mayor of Atlanta. J. W. Dobbs was an American postal clerk, social reformer, and civic leader. After moving to Atlanta in 1897, Dobbs worked at Dr. James McDougal’s Drugstore and attended Atlanta Baptist College (now Morehouse College). In 1903, he passed the U.S. Postal Exam and became a railway mail clerk for the United States Post Office, a position he held for 32 years.

Dobbs became a member of the Prince Hall Masons in 1911, and in 1932, he was elected Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Georgia. He was re-elected annually until his death in 1961. The Prince Hall Masons, a fraternal order known for attracting socially conscious leaders within the African American community, provided Dobbs a platform to dedicate his life to racial equality and the fight against oppression. Dobbs was also the founder of the Atlanta Civic and Political League and, along with A. T. Walden, co-founded the Atlanta Negro Voters League (ANVL), which mobilized the political strength of Black voters in Georgia.

During his illness and death, many prominent figures sent well wishes to Dobbs' family. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was among the speakers at his funeral, and Thurgood Marshall, then head of the NAACP and future Supreme Court Justice, served as a pallbearer.

Since his passing, John Wesley Dobbs has received numerous accolades. He was honored with an elementary school named after him and a monument titled “Through His Eyes.” On January 10, 1994, Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, Dobbs’ grandson, renamed Houston Street—the site of Dobbs' family home—as John Wesley Dobbs Avenue, cementing his legacy in the city's history.