1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. 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). Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Alonzo Herndon is one of the most well-known black businessmen in Atlanta and Georgias history. Fax: (908) 580-3402 64. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 He was considered. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
His barbering business thrived, and he expanded it over the years. Alonzo Herndon rose to prime prominence as a Entrepreneur. 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. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. 2. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. color:#dd9933; The Company rapidly expanded, establishing branches in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. } border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; Your donation is fully tax-deductible. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. 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. Alexa Benson Herndon, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was born on June 6, 1858, in Social Circle, Georgia, which is located in Walton County. Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Herndon was born a slave on June 26, 1858, in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, known as Social Circle. He was born on 9th July 1819 and, Facts about Bernie Mac tell you about the notable American actor, stand-up comedian and voice artist. It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. Herndon was also active in the community in other areas. One of Herndons most lasting contributions includes his role in establishing the United Negro College Fund. color:; Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. } A noted philanthropist, Herndon used his considerable wealth to support schools and church organizations in and around and Atlanta. There he opened his first barbershop. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. At the time of. . Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). Having recently come out of slavery, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education. B. Web site: http://www.cigna.com Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Incorporated: 1967 } After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. Herndon launched a business with only a formal education, but he was determined to make it.
Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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 . 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. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. Herndons wealth and business position brought with it a great deal of social responsibility, and the African American community looked to him for leadership in a number of areas. } 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. In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. .page blockquote{
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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. } In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. color:#f4c85e; 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. .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{ .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;} Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. .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;} Emancipated at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), he was sent away from his birthplace by his father. 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.
Employees: 46,000 Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910.
By Lestey Gist, The Gist of Freedom An African-American barber and entrepreneur, Alonzo Herndon was the founder and president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the most successful black-owned insurance businesses in the nation. [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. 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. /*inline margin*/
background:#fff; Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. border-color:#f4c85e; The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. font-size:14px; Norris eventually settled down and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1921, where he was one of two blacks in his class. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. Du Bois at the founding of the Niagara Movement, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); List choice
His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington - Atlanta Life Project. ." Herndon saved other failing insurance companies by merging their company with Atlanta Life Insurance, claiming his efforts were designed to build confidence in black businesses and save jobs for African American men and women. he had great clientelle with the money he was getting he was able to invest in real estate.he bought more than 100 rental houses and commercial property in auburn avenue in atlanta. @media screen and (max-width: 550px){body,p{
In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. The couple had a son, Norris, who grew Atlanta Life to even greater heights after Herndons death. His father was a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie. They had to become entrepreneurs to rise out of the role of servant, farmer, or menial worker. Warren, New Jersey 07061 Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. background:#111; At that time, he was 7 years old. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. Herndon died in 1927, at 69. .upcoming-events li { Do you know that he was born into slavery? 8. Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. Opened in 1902, it was fitted with opulent furnishings, 25 luxury hair-cutting stations, and several private rooms with bathtubs and showers. Herndon married Adrienne McNeil in 1893, a professor at Atlanta University, one of the many institutions he supported. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? img#wpstats{display:none} Over the next 10 years, Herndons Markham House establishment made him a wealthy man and allowed him to open two other upscalebarbershops in the city In 1896, when the hotel and Herndons shop were destroyed by fire, he set about creating a new showcase barbershop at 66 Peachtree Street. Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. 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. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ His home was included in National Historic Landmark in United States in 2000. #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{ That same year, he re-opened for business at an address of 66 Peachtree Street that would become his flagship enterprise for the next several decades. Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. 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. .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ } .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } Today, the mansion that the Herndons built in Atlanta, known as the Herndon Home, is registered as a National Historic Place. Black barbers who owned a shop across the street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South.
As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. His father was his mothers White owner, so he was kept on the mans farm. Telephone: (908) 903-2000 In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She was the decorator. 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. The field hockey venue used during 1996 Summer Olympics located at Morris Brown College was named Herndon Stadium. 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. His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. Fax: (215) 761-5515 Henry McNeal Turner was for many years the leading advocate of black migration to Africa a, Public Company Herndon's relatively rapid rise as one of Atlanta's rising young African American business leaders was cemented in 1893 when he married Adrienne McNeil, of Augusta, Georgia. } 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. Age AintWhat?! The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. letter-spacing:0.7px; h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95);
On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. });
.slider-wrapper .flex-slider .fs-caption-overlay{ Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Clergyman, activist, author At age 20, Herndon decided to broaden his horizons, first taking a job as a farmhand in the nearby town of Senoia, then taking a part-time position in Jonesboro as a barber. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{
li.social-icon ul li a,ul.single-social-icon li a i{ . With the Southern economy wrecked, she was forced to accept payment in molasses, potatoes, or other provisions in order to feed her sons. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. letter-spacing:0.7px; Alonzo Herndon has been a part of the Entrepreneur list. .loader { 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. } } In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ 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(? On June 26, 1858, in Jonesboro Herndon also sought to save other failing enterprises! Real estate in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 ( spring 1977 ) & # x27 ; ideas! 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