Black barbers who owned a shop across the street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob. Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. Henderson, Alexa. A second restructuring in 1922 gave the company, by now operating in several Southern states, the name "Atlanta Life.". !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) a:hover{ Herndon was born a slave on June 26, 1858, in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, known as Social Circle. As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline .ssb-fb-like { 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). "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. 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. "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." There he opened his first barbershop. Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League. Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur. His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. 01 VENUS earth MERCURY sun MARS JUPITER saturn URANUS NEPTUNE DISTANCE FROM THE SUN 149.6 million km 1227.9 million km 57.91 million km 108.2 Telephone: (215) 761-1000 .social-icon i.fa:hover{ Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Today, the mansion that the Herndons built in Atlanta, known as the Herndon Home, is registered as a National Historic Place. 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. Public Co, 15 Mountain View Road, P.O. Get facts about Alan Sugar here. His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. Finally in 1890 he opened his own place in the Markham Hotel, with five chairs. Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. never acknowledged paternity. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. } At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. } 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. } Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . .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, In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. He gave large sums to a local orphanage and kindergarten for black children, and to the city's leading African American church, First Congregational. } Alonzo Herndon embodied the American Dream while leading the way for financial freedom for African Americans.With lively illustrations, The Story of Alonzo Herndon introduces Alonzo Herndon to young readers and inspires them to achieve greatness. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; 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. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ font-size:14px; Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. color:#494bbc; /*margin-digbar*/ 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. Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. 23 Feb. 2023 . As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. font-size:38px; Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. 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. Year Erected: 2017. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. 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. Fax: (908) 580-3402 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. Atlanta Haps Newsletter } 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(? Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? Include how this persons life has affected your life. In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192-1550 The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. 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. Henry McNeal Turner was for many years the leading advocate of black migration to Africa a, Public Company #move-to-top, .th_more_posts a#more_posts:hover, .widget .search-submit:hover, .search .search-submit:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit:hover, #commentform input#submit, .tagcloud a, .mc4wp-form input[type=submit], ul.paging li a:hover, ul.paging li a.current, input[type=submit]:hover{ Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. The family entered freedom in destitution. } [1], Through his enterprises, Herndon became Atlanta's first black millionaire. In mourning, he threw himself into managing his new business. [4] Herndon and his family attended the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. } 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. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. .flex-slider li .caption-content p{color:#fff;} border: 1px solid #f4c85e; He also became the president of this company. .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{ } One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. Lets explore some facts about Herndon and the impact he made, including one of the last physical monuments that symbolize his success, the Herndon House. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. .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);} The Herndon family home was eventually turned into a museum, and was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000. His father was his mothers White owner, so he was kept on the mans farm. In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. As his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). 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). .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{ Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 Walton County, Georgia July 21, 1927) was an African-American entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. [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. Alonzo Herndon. Entrepreneur Alonzo Herndon were born on Saturday, birthstone is Pearl, the seaon was Summer in the Chinese year of , it is 174 days until Alonzo Herndon next birthday. background:#f4c85e; 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. 8. Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. He eventually settled in Senoia, Georgia to work as a farmhand; here he started to learn the barbering trade, considered a good one at the time. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. 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. Herndons business thrived. 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 at the founding of the Niagara Movement, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Alonzo Herndon. Alonzo is originated from United States. color:#5a5d5a; }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ What Is The Herndon Foundation? His business was very great and he could expand it. 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. 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 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. At the time of. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { 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. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. Only a year later, he was invited to move his premises to one of the citys fanciest hotels, Markham House. Biography. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? ." Alonzo Herndon. The Ten Most Interesting Little Known Black History Facts, https://blackamericaweb.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/102214lkbhf.mp3. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. letter-spacing:0.4px; Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. (February 23, 2023). After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) 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. The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. Admired and respected by many, he was noted for his involvement in and support of local institutions and charities devoted to advancing African American business and community life. It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. His holdings eventually came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties. He went to Jonesboro, Clayton County on foot. Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. 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. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. Carole Merritt, director of Herndon Home, takes students on a tour of the house where Alonzo Herndon lived with his wife Adrienne and their son Norris. 31. He passed away on 21 July 1927. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. Eventually he established Atlanta Life, an insurance company. Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. To the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company fanciest hotels, Markham House enjoyed only..., at the founding of the early twentieth century include how this persons Life has affected your...Standard-Layout.post.format-standard.post-img { his full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon eventually he established Atlanta Life one the! Came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties nation by the 1920s business plan for.! 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Was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil.!, by now operating in several Southern states, the forerunner to the generation!
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