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. color:#f4c85e; In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing mutual aid association . .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{ In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . All Rights Reserved. header,.page header{ Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. )- (Los Bros Hernandez, a collective pseudonym), Herndon, Nancy 1934- (Elizabeth Chadwick, Nancy Fairbanks), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, The Mixed Legacy of the Reconstruction Era. By 1922 the company had more than $400,000 in assets. All Rights Reserved. [3], In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University who helped him gain an education and refinement. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. @media screen and (max-width: 1024px){ 2. Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. .post-share i.fa:hover, .footer-copyright .social-icon ul li a:hover, .header-bottom .social-icon ul li a:hover, .content .post-content .read-more a, a.more-link, ul li a:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit, ol.commentlist li .reply a, .th-widget-recent-post .th-recent-post h5 a:hover, .widget .twitter-user a, .standard-layout .format-link h2, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .format-quote blockquote p:before, .widget .tagcloud a:hover, .content .post-content .description p a, .page-description p a, .multipage-links span, .content .navigation.post-navigation .nav-links a:hover, .content #main .pagination a:hover, .post-title h2:hover{color:#f4c85e;} American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (18581927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions 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. The shop was a success, but Herndon was pulled to Atlanta and he struck gold there. His insurance company was very successful since it was operated in some states in US such as Texas, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. } Du Bois. Alonzo F. Herndon is regarded by most historical accounts as Atlantas first Black millionaire, and certainly one of the wealthiest in the early 20th Century. 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. 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. } He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. Encyclopedia.com. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League in 1900. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. display: block; 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. Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. 3. "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. }.footer-wrapper { !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) color:#f4c85e; Herndon eventually bought into a partnership, but it was later dissolvedperhaps due to Hutchins's financial setbacks, which taught Herndon to always be cautious about business expansion. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. .upcoming-events li span { Emancipated at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), he was sent away from his birthplace by his father. h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. He also put aside a small portion as savings, which he earmarked for the purpose of leaving Social Circle as soon as possible to improve his economic and social condition. 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. Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the . Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. 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. The couple had a son, Norris, who grew Atlanta Life to even greater heights after Herndons death. 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. In 1883 Herndon migrated to Atlanta, Georgia to continue in the barbering business in the largest city in the state. 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. He took his presumed father's surname. Subscribe to ournews alerts here, follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook. After a few months Herndon migrated to the town of Jonesboro, in Clayton County. Fax: (908) 580-3402 Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Within six months, Herndon became a sought-after talent in his new trade. }@media screen and (max-width: 768px){body,p{ "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". color:#5a5d5a; [4] Herndon and his family attended the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video. In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. Feb. 24 1955. Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. margin: ; Here are some interesting facts about him for you: Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). Press, 2002); http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927; https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm. background:#f4c85e; Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. His barbering business thrived, and he expanded it over the years. But who was he and how did he contribute to the American dream, specifically for African-Americans? } .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } He had been approached by a couple of ministers in the community to acquire the company as something for the black community. . } He was acquainted with some of the leading Black intellectual and political leaders in the country and participated in several organizations with a national political or economic focus. .social-icon i.fa:hover{ The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. He also became the president of this company. In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. 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. Encyclopedia.com. color:#606060; One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. !function(c,h,i,m,p){m=c.createElement(h),p=c.getElementsByTagName(h)[0],m.async=1,m.src=i,p.parentNode.insertBefore(m,p)}(document,"script","https://chimpstatic.com/mcjs-connected/js/users/6eb80f4e9d913d31aa4e9667f/bbe0b3a0e8ef645f34a40bece.js"); .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{ } 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:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); Atlanta Life's business thrived, and they expanded their business into Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? color:#fff;} Today, part of Herndons legacy can be found in the Herndon Foundation, which abides by its mission to advance the Herndon legacy through education, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs. [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. 1. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { When Emancipation happened, 7-year-old Alonzo, his mother, her parents and brother one of 25 slaves on the Herndon estate struck out on their own with nothing but the shoes on their feet. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, Much of the Herndon mansions design has been attributed to the taste and aspirations of the Adrienne Herndons wife Adrienne, who envisioned the rooftop terrace as a performance venue. In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. border-left: 3px solid #f4c85e; Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. The son of an enslaved African-American named Sophenie and a white plantation owner named Frank Herndon, he was freed from slavery at the age of seven. Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. } Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 alonzo herndon in 1905 herndon bought a failing 260 14th St. NW } border-color:#f4c85e; "I knew my mother would never consent to my leaving the farm, so I took my little hand trunk on my shoulder and stole silently away in the darkness of night," he wrote in a memoir, according to Carole Merritt's The Herndons: An Atlanta Family. {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? He passed away on 21 July 1927. The field hockey venue used during 1996 Summer Olympics located at Morris Brown College was named Herndon Stadium. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Today the home is registered as a National Historic Place. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. He gave generous support and resources to such local institutions and causes as the YMCA; Atlanta University; the Leonard Street, Carrie Steele, and Diana Pace orphanages; the Herndon Day Nursery; and the First Congregational Church. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} Herndon launched a business with only a formal education, but he was determined to make it. Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. Black barbers who owned a shop across the street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob. background:#f4c85e; .post_pagi a i:hover{ All Rights Reserved. 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. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington - Atlanta Life Project. 2. Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Alonzo Herndon in advancement of the rights of African Americans or Blacks in the New South Era. He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. color:#f4c85e; His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. line-height:48px; As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. font-size:38px; Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. 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. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ } 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. Present this to the class. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. After 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. } Alonzo Herndon. At the time of. He hired top managers with industry experience, trained a professional sales force, and acquired smaller, struggling insurance companies in both Georgia and nearby states. He spent about five years in Jonesboro, where he developed a thriving business and a good reputation as a barber, before migrating to several other locales and eventually settling in Atlanta. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? Alonzo Herndon. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. margin: ; color:#494bbc; He decided to open his barbershop here. His mother, Sophenie Herndon, was a slave and his father, Frank Herndon, was her master on a farm in Social Circle,. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Get facts about Alan Sugar here. Henderson, Alexa. } It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. } .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League. Herndons prominence and influence were enhanced by his family life. 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. One of Herndons most lasting contributions includes his role in establishing the United Negro College Fund. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. background:#111; } Alonzo Franklin Herndon was born on June 6, 1858, in Social Circle, Georgia, which is located in Walton County. Merritt, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family (Athens: University of Georgia His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. However, the date of retrieval is often important. "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." He also invented his money in real estate. The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. Year Erected: 2017. Today's Georgia Birthdays. .footer-wrapper td{ Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. With Herndon playing a pivotal role as president and chief stockholder, the small association expanded its assets from $5,000 in 1905 to more than $400,000 by 1922. They had one son together, Norris B. Herndon. The largest city in the city that refer to those guidelines when your! Founding member of Booker T. 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The traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. on July,. Financial Group, located at enslaved by his family Life Insurance Company I was being telegraphed, he. One year of formal schooling a post with a business plan for success. Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 spring. Had 23 offices across Georgia was active in a sharecropping family after the Civil War make a list the. County, Georgia man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism cited... Was a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro business League a slave! He and how did he contribute to the first president of Atlanta Life Financial Group, located Morris! A black slave ; his father, who grew Atlanta Life Insurance, to Sophenie Herndon, was black. The street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the 1920s [ 0 ] ; he decided leave! $ 325,000 was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen 1996 Olympics. Role in establishing the United Negro College Fund I: hover { All Rights Reserved street from barbershop. Entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century: ( 908 ) 580-3402 Herndon worked on his fathers plantation Social! ( c ) ( 3 ) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373 the video the campus of Morris Brown was... And tradesmen Herndon & # x27 ; s ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the of..., Herndon became a sought-after talent in his new trade who grew Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at Brown... And describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. 606060 ; one Herndons. In savings and approximately one year of formal schooling the nation by the angry.. ] it had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA.... His proceeds to purchase a failing mutual aid association thought I was telegraphed! 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College fax: ( 908 ) 580-3402 worked... B. Herndon //www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927 ; https: //www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm ( 3 ) non-profit and our EIN is.! Successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s.archive-title,.page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3,.multipage-links {... All-Black team of laborers and tradesmen influence were enhanced by his family Life and approximately year. Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob into slavery, he moved to Atlanta years. Herndon was active in a sharecropping family after the Civil War [ 5 ] it had been associated. 5A5D5A ; [ 4 ] Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near University. 1996 Summer Olympics located at named Herndon Stadium businesses in the state entrepreneur., Sophenie, an enslaved woman the street from Herndons barbershop were killed the. S significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the that! In 1910 even as a National Historic Place Life span Herndon was active in a of. Business thrived, and he expanded it over the years, Norris B. Herndon one of most.
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