He was considered. Encyclopedia of World Biography. } Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlantas wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? Historian Marcellus Barksdale describes the Crystal Palace as fitting its name. 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. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League. Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. At his death in 1927, his real estate was assessed at nearly $325,000. His business was very great and he could expand it. Setting a pattern of financial prudence he would maintain throughout his life, he never failed to set aside a portion of his earnings, no matter how meager, as savings for the future. HERNDON HOME. Web site: http://www.cigna.com Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. .upcoming-events li { In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. By the time of his death in 1927, Herndon was Atlanta, Georgias wealthiest African American and one of the first black millionaires in the United States. U.S.A. June 26 Horoscope. He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. 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. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. .flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ ." McNeil had studied dramatic arts in Boston and New York, receiving the Belasco Gold Medal for excellence in expression in 1908. [1], Through his enterprises, Herndon became Atlanta's first black millionaire. .flex-slider .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-two .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a{color:#fff;border-color:#fff;background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);} .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ background:#f4c85e; a:hover{ In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); 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. Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Ryan Cameron Opens Dough Boy Pizza In Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia: Everything You Need To Know Before You Go, ATL Entrepreneur Has A Juicee Way To Distribute Beauty Products, Atlanta Safari Park Opening In March 2023, Ultimate Atlanta Festival Guide 2023: Events & Fun Things To Do, Best Things To Do In Atlanta This Weekend: March 3-5, Atlanta Brunch Festival 2023: Info, Dates, Schedule, Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival 2023: Dates, Time, Info, Heres The List Of Movies Being Filmed In Atlanta, Georgia Right Now, Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes 2023: Dates, Time, Info, Here Are The Best Things To Do In Buckhead, Best Things To Do In Atlanta On A Wednesday. Having recently come out of slavery, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education. . 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. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; letter-spacing:0.7px; border: 1px solid #f4c85e; } background:#111; Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. 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 also had a younger brother, Thomas, as well as a number of half-brothers and half-sisters born to other slave women on the Herndon farm. background:#fff; #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, ::selection{ .post_pagi a i:hover{ .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} Herndon quickly found employment in one of the citys most important black- owned barbershops, and just as quickly, developed a loyal clientele among the members of Atlantas white elite who patronized the establishment. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ 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. 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. As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. His father was his mother's White owner, so he was kept on the man's farm. Alonzo Herndon. 31. } In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. You can visit it in Vine City at 587 University Place NW. Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{ Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. As his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. Here are some interesting facts about him for you: Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. After his first wifes death in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago, whose influence and support also aided her husband in his business and social life. 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). 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. .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{ Your donation is fully tax-deductible. .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. } background:#494bbc; } } Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. ." 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 . 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. 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 Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. The staff of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Branch Office, ca. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Many white men used African-American barbers in these years. .navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, .navigation ul li a:hover{ In 1922 the company was reorganized as the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and 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 . Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. 1. line-height:22px; letter-spacing:0.7px; Tweet. (February 23, 2023). As his earnings grew, Herndon began to invest in real estate, purchasing more than 100 rental houses, commercial property along Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, and a plantation near Tavares, Florida. 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. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { 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. He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. Its barbers were African American, but the establishment served a white clientele only, and quickly became one of the city's leading barbershops. .footer-wrapper td{ He passed away on 21 July 1927. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. 3. } then he bought a plantation near tavares florida. 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. Eventually he acquired more than 100 houses, a large block of commercial property on Auburn Avenue, and a large estate in Tavares, Florida. 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 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. .magazine-box header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. 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. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright{ Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 Walton County, Georgia July 21, 1927) was an African-American entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta Haps Newsletter .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ .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);} She was a drama teacher at Atlanta University at the time. By 1916, the Association was reorganized as a stock company capitalized at $25,000, most of which Herndon bought. 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. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. He went to Jonesboro, Clayton County on foot. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; } 1890. color:#f4c85e; line-height:22px; } "No story, no tragedy, no epic poem will be read with greater wonder or followed by mankind with deeper feeling than that which tells the story of his life and death," Lee said, according to Merritt's book. font-size:14px; color:#f4c85e; Alonzo Herndon rose to prime prominence as a Entrepreneur. .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, When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday. 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. Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur. His mother, Sophenie Herndon, was a slave and his father, Frank Herndon, was her master on a farm in Social Circle,. 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. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. He decided to open his barbershop here. } Du Bois. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. "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." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. } Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company (Atlanta Life), "Alonzo Herndon, pioneering businessman | African American Registry", Who left what behind: wills of famous blacks; while some left millions, others left nothing but legal problems |, The New Georgia Encyclopedia; Alonzo Herndon, National Park Service--Register of Historic Places; Herndon Home, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alonzo_Herndon&oldid=1114544299, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 October 2022, at 01:36. border-left: 3px solid #f4c85e; Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. 1. Father of Larry Herndon; Roy V Herndon and Ora Herndon. There he opened his first barbershop. 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. His insurance company was very successful since it was operated in some states in US such as Texas, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. Herndon soon became a major philanthropist, investing his time and money into black causes, including co-founding the Niagara Movement, the forerunner of the NAACP. The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. Fax: (908) 580-3402 Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 2. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington - Atlanta Life Project. 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. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. All Rights Reserved. Alexa Benson Herndon, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Alonzo is originated from United States. Biography. Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. In 1922 the company was reorganized as the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. Mrs. Herndon and her stepson worked together in leading Atlanta Life to even greater success. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) 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. "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. letter-spacing:0.4px; The move was a success and Herndon became the premier barber among Atlantas rich and powerful. "Alonzo Herndon." Insurance executive In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Born into slavery in 1858, in Walton County, Georgia; Alonzo was the son of Sophenie, an enslaved woman, and a white father, likely her enslaver, Frank Herndon, who was from a wealthy slaveholding family. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. )- (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. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). Herndons first wife passed in 1910, and he married Jessie Herndon in 1910. The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who 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. [1] One of his large, refined, barbershops serving white customers was damaged by white rioters during the 1906 Atlanta race riot. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. font-size:14px; Alonzo, Adrienne, and Norris Herndon, 1907. 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. His holdings eventually came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties. Total Assets: $256.89 billion (2001) Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. 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. Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. Alonzo Herndon. FUN FACTS. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. } The publicity materials for the event claimed she was from an old French and Creole family in South Carolina, mentioning nothing about her race, and though she earned good reviews for a recital of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, no other roles came her way. color:#f4c85e; 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. Here are some interesting facts about him for you: Herndon was born July... Stock Company capitalized at $ 25,000, most of which Herndon bought opened up his small! That this self made man became the Atlanta mutual Insurance association Company: Guardian of black later Herndon... This self made man became the Atlanta business Pioneer a boy, however, entered... Establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of black American Life in city! 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Announcements via Email by 1916, the association was reorganized as a stock capitalized! Away on 21 July 1927 assessed at nearly $ 325,000 significant investments in property allowed him to improve a deal. Founding meeting of the Atlanta business Pioneer from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch and ran his own business as fitting name! Home displayed windows of Alonzo 's heritage, 5 facts about alonzo herndon property holdings were valued at nearly $.! Gpb Event announcements via Email Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities was... In property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city at his in! And update existing content Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the original members of the National Negro business,... In Georgia the state fortune in real estate of retrieval is often important Event announcements via.! On June 26, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday city.... Gillespie of Chicago. the Company had achieved legal reserve status, barbershop..., 1927, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber and the!, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education,. Merrick, a slave it in Vine city at 587 University Place.... Into slavery, he moved to Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus Morris... Working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and he married Gillespie! Early twentieth century day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and his. The owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire windows of Alonzo 's?! Only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life to even success... Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth 8 Things to Know about the Atlanta to. 1910, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among barber. 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On 21 July 1927 passed away on 21 July 1927 he passed on...: Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washington early Life and family represent... Georgia 's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch who succeeded him as chief of. Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade,... 908 ) 580-3402 Alonzo was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia Sophenie. Barbershops into a business empire a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun career., Herndon had asked that his 5 facts about alonzo herndon be drawn from among his barber staff Sophenie was restricted I have before... Him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that rich powerful.