Skip to content
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
PA logo
DONATE

search

  • About The Society

    Who Are We

    Dedicated to the history and legacy of the physician assistant profession

    Collection Description

    Chronicles the development of various professional organizations

    Founding Members

    Individuals who joined us during our first year

    Mission, Vision & Values

    Learn about our mission, vision & values

    PA Veterans Garden

    Visit the McElligott PA Veterans Garden

    PAHx History & Projects

    Explore our history and projects

    News & Events

    See what’s new at PAHx
    X icon
  • Information & Links

    Initial State Recognition of Physician Assistants

    Find out when your state started recognizing the PA profession

    Our Associates

    View the Associates of the PA History Society

    Past Presidents of the National Organizations

    View our past presidents

    National Conference

    View the locations & dates for the National Conference

    PA Glossary

    Abbreviations, acronyms & titles associated with the physician assistant profession

    Preserving History

    Find several resources for preserving, documenting & archiving historical documents and materials

    Trivia

    Test your PA history knowledge

    Newsletter

    Read the most recent issue

    Helpful Links

    Find links and additional resources

    Search Options

    View our different search options

  • Illustrated History

    Archival Research

    Use finding aids for our collections

    Biographies

    Read our numerous biographies

    Collection & Exhibits

    Our collection features artwork, artifacts and exhibitions

    Oral Histories

    Listen or watch oral history interviews from PAs or those close to the profession's history

    Research Library & References

    Library collections, books and serials

    Videos

    Our moving image collection includes film and video

    Photos

    Slides, photographs, negatives & others

    Historical Perspectives

    Essays, personal narratives and long articles on aspects of PA history

    PA Timeline

    View important milestones and events

    International PA Timeline

    View international milestones and events

    Historical Highlights

    Orgs that are saving and preserving their history

    Celebrating 50

    PA programs that have celebrated their 50th anniversaries

  • Support The Society

    How To Support Us

    Help our staff work with organizations, institutions, researchers and archivists

    Friends of the Society

    View our friends and find out how to become one

    Our Associates

    Become an active partner

    First Class Photos

    First class photos of our Associates

    PA History Books

    Find out how to order your copy

    PA History Products

    Lapel pins, posters, and art prints

    Become an Active Participant

    Learn how to support us
    X icon
  • Contact

J. Rhodes Haverty, MD

X icon

In 1968 Dr. J. Rhodes Haverty, a prominent pediatrician in Atlanta, was appointed the founding Dean and Professor of the College of Health Sciences at Georgia State University. From that position, he became a national leader in the processes of both accreditation and certification in the allied health professions in general, and in the emerging physician assistant profession in particular. He was a founding member of both the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs for the Assistant to the Primary Care Physician (now, ARC-PA), and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), becoming the second president of the latter in 1976. It was during his presidency of the NCCPA that the critical issues of recertification and specialty certification were addressed, and the Commission became financially viable without the necessity for external grant support.

Dr. Haverty was born in Atlanta in 1926, a third-generation native Georgian. He graduated high school from the Baylor Military School in Chattanooga, TN. He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1948, following a period of interruption to serve in the United States Navy in World War II. He then graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1953. Following a pediatric residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, he became Chief Resident in Pediatrics at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He entered the practice of pediatrics in 1957, leaving to become Dean at Georgia State University a decade later.

While in private practice, Dr. Haverty was active in a number of organizations on the local and national stage. They included the Atlanta Clinical Society, the Medical Association of Atlanta, the Medical Association of Georgia, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association. He served as President of the Medical Association of Georgia.

As Dean, he joined the American Society of Allied health Professions, becoming President in 1974. He served on the Manpower Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Following his tenure as President of the NCCPA, Dr. Haverty was invited to become a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, serving the NBME for eight years. His expertise in accreditation led to his appointment to the Board of the Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He became a member, and subsequently, Chairman, of the AMA’s Committee on Allied health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA), the committee responsible for accreditation of most allied health education programs in the United States, and the parent organization of the physician assistant “Joint Review Committee.”

Other activities included service on the National Commission for the Study of Nursing and Nursing Education, and participation in several grant review committees of the National Institutes of Health. Finally he was appointed to the Board of the National Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and served as Chairman of its Committee on Recognition.

Dr. Haverty received numerous awards and expressions of recognition. Most notably, he is one of only three persons to be named an “Honorary Commissioner” by the NCCPA for his dedicated service during its formative years. He received an honorary doctorate from Georgia State University in 2004.

Dr. Haverty retired in 1991. He and his wife enjoyed cruising around the world, taking one or two such trips every year, sometimes for six to twelve weeks at a time. Dr. Haverty passed away on January 24, 2014.

Acknowledgments: This biography was written by Thomas E. Piemme, MD and was submitted to the Society in May 2012. The photo of Dr. Haverty is courtesy of Stars of the South. This bio was edited in February 2014.

When using information from this biography, please provide the proper citation as described within the PA History Society Terms of Use.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
PA logo
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

About Us

  • Who Are We
  • Collection Description
  • Founding Members
  • Our Mission, Vision & Values
  • PAHx History & Projects
  • Newsletter

Information

  • Initial State Recognition Of PAs
  • Past Presidents
  • National Conference
  • PA Glossary
  • Preserving History
  • Helpful Links

Support Us

  • How To Support Us
  • Friends Of The Society
  • Our Associates
  • PA History Books

Contact Us

(678) 417-8682

Contactus@pahx.org

12000 Findley Road Suite 100
Johns Creek, GA 30097-1409

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Notice
  • Collection Development Policy

© 2023 Physician Assistant History Society® All Rights Reserved