John Mathias Bernhardt was a member of the class of 1886. He attended classes from 1882 to 1884. While a student at Davidson College, he was a member of the Philanthropic Literary Society and Kappa Alpha fraternity. Before coming to Davidson, he had formed a partnership in a mercantile business which later became the Bank of Lenoir. He returned to conduct business in Lenoir, founding the Lenoir Furniture Company, which later became the Harper Furniture Company, the Bernhardt Chair Company, and the Caldwell and Northern Railroad. He died in Lenoir in 1935.