border: 1px solid #f4c85e; New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. . Alonzo Herndon rose to prime prominence as a Entrepreneur. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. .header-wrap-top,.header-wrap-top .inner-wrap-top{background:#1e73be;}.header-wrap-top .top-date{color:#fff;}.header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a{color:#fff;} .header-wrap-top .top-social-icon li a{color:#fff;} In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. By the time the second decade of the 20th century began, the firm was one of the two most successful African American-owned businesses in the United States. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. All Rights Reserved. In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. Herndon was also active in the community in other areas. As founder and first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Alonzo Herndon displayed a leadership that blended ideals of racial self-help and independent entrepreneurship. Incorporateci: 1866 as National Travelers Insurance Public Co, 15 Mountain View Road, P.O. Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video. 2. Employees: 46,000 They had to become entrepreneurs to rise out of the role of servant, farmer, or menial worker. It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. B. In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. The article emphasizes his competence and success as a businessman. What Is The Herndon Foundation? (2004). He developed a great reputation as a barber and his business thrived. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. In 1905 he became the founder and president of what he built to be one of the United States' most well-known and successful African-American businesses, the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company (Atlanta Life). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. color:#dd9933; Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. He also invented his money in real estate. His father was his mothers White owner, so he was kept on the mans farm. Atlanta has a lot of inspirational people and AtlantaFi.com is going to introduce you to many of them as well as cool places to go, great restaurants and other ATL happenings. The Herndon family home was eventually turned into a museum, and was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000. Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Today the home is registered as a National Historic Place. ." color:#606060; .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright{ }. content:'Main Menu'; Alonzo Herndon has been a part of the Entrepreneur list. Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. Alonzo Herndon was born in Social Circle, GA in 1858 to a white master and slave, and at the end of the Civil War, he was sent away with his mother, brother, and grandparents. Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions }body,p{ On that day in 1878, he walked all the way to Jonesboro, Georgia, but his first stop was a town that had telegraph wires running overhead, something he had never before seen and which unsettled him. Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. 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. Eventually he established Atlanta Life, an insurance company. William Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the war, and his shop was a busy one. An entrepreneur at heart, he learned barbering and eventually opened his own shop in Atlanta called the Crystal Palace and later founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. 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. It also was in 1905 that Herndon made the significant decision to enter the world of insurance finance, and purchased the struggling Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, which had been founded by a local African American pastor. 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. background: #f4c85e; 1. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. He was born on June 26, 1858 and his birthplace is Georgia. 1. June 26 Horoscope. At the time of. Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin 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. Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. font-size:14px; value: 100, Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. His father was a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie. .flex-slider li .caption-content h1{ Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. HERNDON HOME. His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192-1550 Stock Exchanges: New York London Tokyo Paris Zrich Basel Ge, Hernando de Soto and the Spanish Exploration of the American Southeast, 1539-1542, Hernndo (y Palomar), Rafael (Jos Maria), Hernandez, Jaime 1959(? His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nations largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. 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. Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. Herndon also used his wealth to support local institutions and causes, such as the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA), Atlanta University, the First Congregational Church, the Southview Cemetery, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. Herndon was most involved on the local level. He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. 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. Do you find this information helpful? } currency: 'USD', a:hover{ As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. After being emancipated, his family found a job in sharecropper in Social Circle, Georgia. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. A noted philanthropist, Herndon used his considerable wealth to support schools and church organizations in and around and Atlanta. Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. display: block; ." 64. Insurance executive He also became the president of this company. margin: ; Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. color:#494bbc; .footer-wrapper p, .footer-wrapper a, In his leisure time, he relaxed at an orange-grove estate he had acquired in Lake County, Florida, which he improved and sold some years later at an impressive profit. background:#fff; }} The job opened the door to his future. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', .upcoming-events li span { In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? } Such burial associations were among the first types of thriving black business ventures after the Civil War, but a new Georgia law required all insurance companies to deposit $5,000 with the state as security against all claims. .footer-wrapper li, "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. .page blockquote{ fbq('init', '213902435871547'); .post_pagi a i:hover{ That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. Associated With Warren, New Jersey 07061 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. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. .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{ Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. Today's Georgia Birthdays. . 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. When he was strong enough, at age 13, his former masterand biological fatheroffered him a job on the plantation as a farmhand, a position he held for the next seven years. 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. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ 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. } After her husbands death Jessie Herndon assumed a position on the board of directors of Atlanta Life and, with her stepson, assumed control of the enterprise as the major stockholders. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. Follow us onTwitter. } He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. 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. border-color:#f4c85e; His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. border-color:#f4c85e; Featured Content. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. .widget .search-submit, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .slider-post-content .read-more-slider a:hover, .widget .search-submit, .search .search-submit, #commentform #commentSubmit, ul.paging li a{ font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ .mega >ul.sub-menu>li.mega-sub-item>a, .mega .thunk-widget-menu .widget h2.widgettitle, .mega .thunk-widget-menu .widget .recent-post h4.widgettitle,.navigation .mega >ul.sub-menu>li.mega-sub-item>a{ At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlantas wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; 31. }); Another structure on Morris Browns campus is Alonzo Herndon Stadium, an old 15,011-seat stadium that was once used for sports events at the school. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. color:#f4c85e; She eventually went back to work on the Herndon farm, living in a one-room log cabin with four other former slave families and being paid pitifully meager wages. In 1878 Herndon left Social Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings and about a year of schooling. When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Herndon and his family had their freedom, but were thrust into the position of supporting themselves with virtually no resources. Employees: 32,000 American Dream:a social ideal revolving around the attainment of a high standard of living, Black Bourgeoisie:African Americans in the middle class; the bourgeoisie is generally a business class, entrepreneur:one who creates a product on his own account; whoever undertakes on his own account an industrial enterprise in which workmen are employed, Jim Crow laws:laws developed specifically to inconvenience African Americans or to promote segregation between the races, Odd Fellows Society:an organization formed in America during the 19th century whose motto states that they are to provide friendship, demonstrate charity, and pursue truth; through these endeavors they hope to promote fellowship amongst people, Republican Party:one of two major political parties in the United States; Republican interests are generally business and trade focused, hence it is often identified with the bourgeoisie, segregation:separation from others; a parting (often refers to the separating of races). 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