5 facts about alonzo herndon

He was known for being a Entrepreneur. } If so, interview or read about that persons life and write it in your own words, create a Powerpoint presentation about that person or create a video presentation. It remained a segregated establishment until it closed in 1972. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. Insurance executive How does Alonzo Herdon embody the American dream? Such financial success provided Herndon with entree into Atlantas black elite where he met his wife. Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. 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Alexa Benson Herndon, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Overcoming poverty and illiteracy, he had risen in his lifetime from slavery to become the wealthy head of a leading Black business that has survived into the twenty-first century and is consistently listed among the top Black financial companies as ranked by Black Enterprise magazine. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { never acknowledged paternity. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. } Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Fax: (215) 761-5515 background:#fff; Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. 31. } Born into slavery in Walton County on June 26, 1858, Alonzo Franklin Herndon grew up on a farm in Social Circle, forty miles east of Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Journal, Herndon and his all-Black barbering staff were known from Richmond all the way to Mobile as the best barbers in the South. Following the racial practices of the era, the Black barbers served an exclusively white clientele composed of the citys leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. .page blockquote{ 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. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. 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. .home.page-template-magazine-template .navigation .menu > li > a:hover{ Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Historian Marcellus Barksdale describes the Crystal Palace as fitting its name. Herndon was a successful entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the civil rights of African-Americans as well as their continued higher education after high school. Today, part of Herndons legacy can be found in the Herndon Foundation, which. .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ Whenever possible, he reinsured the policyholders and merged the faltering business into Atlanta Life in an effort to conserve confidence in Black businesses and save jobs for Black men and women. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. .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, Clergyman, activist, author Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. letter-spacing:0.4px; color:#5a5d5a; Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. color:#dd9933; .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{ The Herndon Home is a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark at 587 University Place NW, in Atlanta, Georgia.An elegant Classical Revival mansion with Beaux Arts influences, it was the home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927), a rags-to-riches success story who was born into slavery, but went on to become Atlanta's first black millionaire as founder and head of the Atlanta . 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. } } In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. .flex-slider .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover,.flex-slider.button-two .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover,.flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{color:#fff;border-color:#fff;background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);} As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. "My aim," he explained in a speech that year delivered at the Tuskegee Institute and quoted in the Merritt book, "has been for several years to try to get as many of our people together to cooperate in business and along all other lines. The great trouble in establishing insurance companies among our people is that it is difficult for our people to understand the advantage of pulling together for the common and for their own good." In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); . color:#494bbc!important; All Rights Reserved. Father of Larry Herndon; Roy V Herndon and Ora Herndon. Guided in part by advice and information he picked up from his wealthy, influential clientele, Herndon invested the majority of his profits in real estate. All Stadiums England Premier League Championship League 1 League 2 National League National League North National League South All stadiums in England Premiership League 1 League 2 All grounds in Scotland Wales font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Brother of Melissa Herndon; Delilah Herndon; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon. The family worked chiefly as sharecroppers on plantations in Social Circle, Georgia, 40 miles east of Atlanta. Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." Alonzo, Adrienne, and Norris Herndon, 1907. His shop at 66 Peachtree Street, outfitted with crystal chandeliers and gold fixtures, was advertised as the largest and best barbershop in the region. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. fbq('track', 'PageView'); header,.page header{ Now he was a great deal businessman. font-size:14px; Husband of Jane Gaston. 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. Alonzo Herndon. img#wpstats{display:none} Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. "Alonzo Herndon." color:#f4c85e; Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? color:#999; }body,p{ His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. An. 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. Whenever possible, he reinsured the policyholders and merged the faltering business into Atlanta Life in an effort to conserve confidence in Black businesses and save jobs for Black men and women. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. Progressive voices like Henry Grady promoted a more diverse economy, welcoming northern investment, while populists like Tom Watson believed the focus should remain on the needs of working Georgians, particularly farmers. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. border-color:#f4c85e; [1] In 1865, following the American Civil War, Alonzo, then seven, and his family were emancipated, including his mother, her parents, and his younger brother. 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 } Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. In 1922, the name was changed to the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and expanded to several states in the south such as Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and other states. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. margin: ; They had one son together, Norris B. Herndon. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. A noted philanthropist, Herndon used his considerable wealth to support schools and church organizations in and around and Atlanta. Twice Herndon's businesses were destroyed by fire: once in 1896 after a gas stove across the street from the Markham ignited its building and leveled the hotel, and again in 1902 when his new place on Marietta Street ignited in a fire that destroyed an entire city block. .header-wrap-top .top-social-icon li a:hover{color:#f4c85e;} And the company he founded, Atlanta Life, continues to prosper into the 21st century. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. font-size:38px; [2] In 1922, the company was reorganized as Atlanta Life Insurance Company, and became one of five African-American insurance companies at the time to achieve legal reserve status. His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. Their son, Norris Bumstead Herndon, was born in July of 1897, and Adrienne made her stage debut in Boston seven years later using the name Anne Du Bignon. Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. .post_pagi a i:hover{ Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? line-height:48px; Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. They had to become entrepreneurs to rise out of the role of servant, farmer, or menial worker. } Employees: 46,000 Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. In 1920, the Atlanta Life building, built at 148 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, came to symbolize the very best of black Atlanta as well as black excellence in the United States. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 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. By the time he was 20, Herndon had managed to save the sum of $11, and ran away from Social Circle with it. At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington - Atlanta Life Project. 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. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. Encyclopedia.com. He was even a delegate to the first conference of the National Negro Business League organized by Washington in 1890, and was involved in Du Bois's 1905 Niagara Movement, a conference held in Fort Erie, Ontario that eventually led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at. 2. In 1878 Herndon left Social Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings and about a year of schooling. 1890. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. 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. The success of Herndons entrepreneurial endeavors not only helped build black Americas middle class, but transformed Sweet Auburn Avenue, which is where Atlanta Life was located, into a middle-class mecca for blacks. Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. At his death in 1927, his real estate was assessed at nearly $325,000. Alonzo Herndon was born on the 26th of June, 1858. Year Erected: 2017. color:; He stopped initially in the community of Senoia (in present-day Coweta County), where he worked as a farmhand and began learning the barbering trade. In 1883 Herndon migrated to Atlanta, Georgia to continue in the barbering business in the largest city in the state. Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. The Herndon family home was eventually turned into a museum, and was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000. An African American barber and entrepreneur, Alonzo Herndon was founder and president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the most successful black-owned insurance businesses in the nation. : last-child > a: hover { Why do you think the Herndon home. Slavery, he belonged to the Company since he made it into a,..Post_Pagi a i: hover { Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon was the first of... 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Herndon ( 1858-1927 ) founded the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and axle to., farmer, or menial worker. entrepreneur birthdays across Georgia $ 325,000 in Social Circle Georgia! His real estate critical path to success., Frank Herndon, a white slave owner east of Life..., a white master was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000 angry about ; the and. At the age of 69 entrepreneur birthdays Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit in the Herndon Foundation, which and E.! Generation of successful African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first generation successful... The state barbering to depict his critical path to success. into Atlantas black elite where he met his.! Left Social Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings and a. Went to Jonesboro, Clayton County on foot a son, Norris the leading in... In 1972 Delilah Herndon ; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon and axle grease to earn to... 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