Printmaker and painter James Dexter Havens was born in Rochester, New York. Following instruction at the University of Rochester, he studied printmaking under Troy Kinney and at the Woodbury School in Ogunquit, Maine. He was a founding member of the Print Club of Rochester, whose logo he designed. Stricken with childhood diabetes at age 14, he was the first person in the United States to be treated with insulin, greatly enhancing and prolonging his life.
Havens is best known for his color woodcuts and was a leading artist in the 20th century color woodblock revival in America. His work is held by The Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, and numerous other institutions. He died at Rochester.