Alonzo Herndon. font-size:14px; 2. She was the decorator. Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. One of the few avenues for close, respectful contact between African Americans and Whites in the south, the barber profession provided an opportunity for financial success for many Blacks in the decades after the Civil War. background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18);} Herndon ventured into the realm of racial politics at the turn of the century by joining Booker T. Washington in establishing the National Negro Business League. At age 20, Herndon decided to broaden his horizons, first taking a job as a farmhand in the nearby town of Senoia, then taking a part-time position in Jonesboro as a barber. Its barbers were African American, but the establishment served a white clientele only, and quickly became one of the city's leading barbershops. line-height:22px; It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. Let me show you the interesting Facts about Alonzo Herndon if you want to know the founding father of the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company. Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. Norris eventually settled down and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1921, where he was one of two blacks in his class. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. /*inline margin*/
.footer-wrapper td{ } Herndon brought in experienced, professional management with a sound business plan that included an expanded, knowledgeable sales force and a new network of branch offices. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. She hired herself out by the day and as there was money in the country, she received as pay potatoes, molasses, and peas enough to keep us from starving.". Biography. Company 2. And the company he founded, Atlanta Life, continues to prosper into the 21st century. The shop was a success, but Herndon was pulled to Atlanta and he struck gold there. Herndon employed an acquisition strategy where he bought out failing insurance businesses and merged them with his company. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. Norris also gave the land on which Atlanta University's Herndon Stadium was built in 1948, and donated heavily to civil-rights causes in the 1960s. She still harbored dreams of a career in acting, however, and had agreed to marry Herndon only if he promised to let her pursue it. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. } Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. By Lestey Gist, The Gist of Freedom An African-American barber and entrepreneur, Alonzo Herndon was the founder and president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the most successful black-owned insurance businesses in the nation. Get facts about Alan Sugar here. Having recently come out of slavery, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education. 2. At a very young age he worked as a laborer and peddler, helping his family to eke out a living in the harsh rural area. In 1910, the house was built. Featured Content. His child Norris B. Herndon eventually took over Atlanta Life, expanding the company's reach and increasing its profits. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. .navigation .menu > li > a:hover,.navigation ul li a:hover,header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after,.navigation ul ul.sub-menu a:hover,.smaller .navigation ul li a:hover, .home .smaller .navigation .menu > li > a:hover,.navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 Jan. 03 1992. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. As his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990); Carole New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 14, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/, Henderson, A. He also invented his money in real estate. He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. The article emphasizes his competence and success as a businessman. In 1858, Alonzo Franklin Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County. In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. Alonzo is also well known as, Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the city of Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. .magazine-box header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. Holla:CJ@AtlantaFi.com. "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. McNeil had studied dramatic arts in Boston and New York, receiving the Belasco Gold Medal for excellence in expression in 1908. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlantas wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. Alonzo Herndon was born on the 26th of June, 1858. .header a#pull,.home .header a#pull,.header-wrapper header.smaller a#pull,.page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before{ Alonzo is originated from United States. ." He passed away on 21 July 1927. The family learned to feed themselves by sharecropping, which is whereHerndon began to appreciate the acumen of operating good business when dealing with people, a quality that would come to serve him greatly later in life. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing mutual aid association . Today, part of Herndons legacy can be found in the Herndon Foundation, which. He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) The other was John Merricks North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company. .flex-slider li .caption-content p{color:#fff;} Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. background: #f4c85e; Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. } To make ends meet, Herndon and his brother worked in the fields as well alongside their mother and grandparents, and he had very little formal schooling as a result. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. } line-height:48px; Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. She was a drama teacher at Atlanta University at the time. ." Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur.
The couple had a son, Norris, who grew Atlanta Life to even greater heights after Herndons death. Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. Black barbers who owned a shop across the street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob. From a very young age, Herndon worked as a laborer, and a peddler, to help support his family, as only his mother could work in the early years. Fax: (908) 580-3402 In addition to serving as a role model and inspiration to generations of African American entrepreneurs, Herndon left a significant family legacy. Because he possessed financial capital, Herndon was approached by two local ministers who asked him to help save their fledgling insurance company, the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ On this episode of Georgia Stories; Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's fi. 31. .home .navigation .menu > li > a, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after, .home .navigation ul li a, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.navigation .menu > li > a, header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after, .navigation ul li a, header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.smaller .navigation .menu > li > a,.home header.smaller .navigation .menu > li > a,.home header.smaller #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.home.page-template-magazine-template .navigation .menu > li > a, .home.page-template-magazine-template header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after{ .footer-wrapper p, .footer-wrapper a, Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place June 26 Horoscope. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. 3. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. He hired top managers with industry experience, trained a professional sales force, and acquired smaller, struggling insurance companies in both Georgia and nearby states. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. 64. In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. letter-spacing:0.7px; In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. As proprietor, Herndon personally saw to the barbering services provided to some of the most important figures in the state, earning their acquaintance and good will. [4] Herndon and his family attended the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; 23 Feb. 2023 . Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. One of Herndons most lasting contributions includes his role in establishing the United Negro College Fund. That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday. When he was a teen, his father hired him as an apprentice on the farm for the sum of $25 the first year, $30 the second, and $40 the third, nearly all of which was paid to his mother. 3. margin-bottom: 10px; Over the next 10 years, Herndons Markham House establishment made him a wealthy man and allowed him to open two other upscalebarbershops in the city In 1896, when the hotel and Herndons shop were destroyed by fire, he set about creating a new showcase barbershop at 66 Peachtree Street. Herndon began to appreciate the acumen of operating good business when dealing with people, a quality that would come to serve him greatly later in life.
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Like so many newly emancipated African Americans, the Herndons engaged in sharecroppinga system that kept them only a short step from slavery for many more years. Herndons first wife passed in 1910, and he married Jessie Herndon in 1910. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. } Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin. The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. Age AintWhat?! [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, Atlanta's Alonzo Herndon, born into slavery, became one of the first African-American millionaires in the U.S., founding Atlanta Life Insurance Company, among Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. Herndon and the prominent writer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass both spent their early years in slavery. 1890. Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. margin: ;
For dues of 25 cents weekly, a payee's beneficiary would receive a sum up to $50 upon death, which paid for funeral expenses. font-size:14px; Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington.
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Born into slavery, he became one of the first African American millionaires in the United States, first achieving success by owning and operating three large barber shops in the city that served prominent white men. Herndon saved other failing insurance companies by merging their company with Atlanta Life Insurance, claiming his efforts were designed to build confidence in black businesses and save jobs for African American men and women. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? After six months Herndon purchased half interest in the shop, entering into a partnership with one of the few free Blacks operating barbering establishments since before the Civil War. When W. E. B. At his death in 1927, his real estate was assessed at nearly $325,000. The company built respect in the financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of shaky competitors. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. then he bought a plantation near tavares florida. [1] One of his large, refined, barbershops serving white customers was damaged by white rioters during the 1906 Atlanta race riot. .footer-wrapper li, Alonzo wanted to remind himself and others that even though he had become very successful he started out as a slave. Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. Born into slavery, he became one of the first African American millionaires in the United States, first achieving success by owning and operating three large barber shops in the city that served prominent white men. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. His business was very great and he could expand it. Herndon studied barbering, and owned and managed a string of barbershops in downtown Atlanta after the Civil War, one of which was considered to be the most elegant in the .
In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Herndons death in 1927, his son, Norris B. Herndon, took over the company and continued in his fathers philanthropic footsteps by contributing to the United Negro College Fund, Atlanta University, and the National Urban League. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. An. He had been approached by a couple of ministers in the community to acquire the company as something for the black community. no architect drew the plan. ALONZO HERNDON WAS CONSIDERED THE FIRST BLACK ENTREPRENEUR OF ATLANTA IN THE 1800s Hide chat MLK: The Other America The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Heartland. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. Now he was a great deal businessman. .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{
.social-icon i.fa:hover{ His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nations largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business.
.loader { Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. United States, From Rags to Riches: The Story of Alonzo Herndon, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. A second restructuring in 1922 gave the company, by now operating in several Southern states, the name "Atlanta Life.". font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; fbq('track', 'PageView');
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On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Alonzo Herndon moved to Atlanta in 1883, bought a stake in a barbershop on Marietta Street, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. A photograph of the house under construction contained the caption, "said to be the finest Negro residence in the South," according to Merritt's book. Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. } He decided to open his barbershop here. Do you find this information helpful? -webkit-box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.2);box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.12)} His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. Herndon was four years old when President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, freed the slaves in the Southern states that had seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy, but was seven when Frank Herndon released them when the war ended.
Within six months, Herndon became a sought-after talent in his new trade. He also became the president of this company. ::selection{ li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. He also became the president of this company. In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Brother of Melissa Herndon; Delilah Herndon; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon. .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the . color:#f4c85e; After starting in the shop of another black man in Atlanta, Herndon later owned three barbershops in Atlanta, including a large one at 66 Peachtree Street that he fitted out with luxurious furnishings. Despite several crises in the industry and lean times generally, Atlanta Life under Herndons leadership survived and progressed into the next decades as a secure and prosperous business. In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. 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Traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. were accustomed service... The east of Atlanta the shop was a drama teacher at Atlanta University at top! Association that eventually became the Atlanta Life, expanding the company, he moved to Atlanta in.... American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance was! $ 400,000 in assets in 1922 gave the company he founded, Atlanta Insurance. To success. Life. `` reserve status, a few weeks his. His fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia of 69 a sought-after in... 1Px solid # f4c85e ; Alonzo and Adrienne had a son,,.