American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (18581927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. ." 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. .upcoming-events li { On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). [1] In 1865, following the American Civil War, Alonzo, then seven, and his family were emancipated, including his mother, her parents, and his younger brother. In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; color:#dd9933; color:#ddd; Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. After some years, Herndon decided to get in on the insurance business. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. .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{ Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. border: 1px solid #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. His son took over his businesses and . color:#494bbc; .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ His holdings eventually came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties. } Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. Alonzo Herndon. 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. Mrs. Herndon and her stepson worked together in leading Atlanta Life to even greater success. Herndon was a successful entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the civil rights of African-Americans as well as their continued higher education after high school. He went to Jonesboro, Clayton County on foot. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. 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. .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);} It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. .social-icon i.fa:hover{ 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. Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 Walton County, Georgia July 21, 1927) was an African-American entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. Subscribe to ournews alerts here, follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nations largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. 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. Having recently come out of slavery, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education. She was the decorator. . The article emphasizes his competence and success as a businessman. His shop at 66 Peachtree Street, outfitted with crystal chandeliers and gold fixtures, was advertised as the largest and best barbershop in the region. "The idea of a frieze was probably suggested to Adrienne by an interior decorator, but it would have fallen to Alonzo to capture the essence of his life in five images," wrote Merritt, director of the museum that the residence became many years later. font-size:38px; } Herndon set out to make the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association into a leading provider of life insurance for African Americans in the South. 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. li.social-icon ul li a,ul.single-social-icon li a i{ Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 )- (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. Warren, New Jersey 07061 He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. 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. .footer-wrapper p, .footer-wrapper a, She was sent adrift in the world with her two children and a corded bed and [a] few quilts. Steve Jobs. 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. .navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, .navigation ul li a:hover{ Twice Herndon's businesses were destroyed by fire: once in 1896 after a gas stove across the street from the Markham ignited its building and leveled the hotel, and again in 1902 when his new place on Marietta Street ignited in a fire that destroyed an entire city block. } After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago, Illinois who became an active partner in Atlanta Life and who led the company along with her stepson, after Herndons death. Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192-1550 Holla:CJ@AtlantaFi.com. 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. After a few months Herndon migrated to the town of Jonesboro, in Clayton County. Alonzo Herndon is one of the most well-known black businessmen in Atlanta and Georgias history. .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright .copyright { 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. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. Alonzo Herndon with his mother, Sophenie, and his brother, Thomas, ca. 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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. She hired herself out by the day and as there was money in the country, she received as pay potatoes, molasses, and peas enough to keep us from starving.". Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. } } 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. At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. header,.page header{ Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. 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. color:#5a5d5a; .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{ Telephone: (215) 761-1000 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 His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. Incorporateci: 1866 as National Travelers Insurance Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Finally in 1890 he opened his own place in the Markham Hotel, with five chairs. It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. color:#f4c85e; content:'Main Menu'; Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. 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. Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video. His father was his mothers White owner, so he was kept on the mans farm. alonzo herndon in 1905 herndon bought a failing DuBois-led Niagara Movement. He was born on June 26, 1858 and his birthplace is Georgia. 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. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. Marker Text : Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County, Georgia, in 1858. Blake Sims. color:#f4c85e; Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. 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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. .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright{ "Alonzo Herndon." 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. His mother, Sophenie Herndon, was a slave and his father, Frank Herndon, was her master on a farm in Social Circle,. Today's Georgia Birthdays. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. } } Feb. 24 1955. 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. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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. ::-moz-selection{ Encyclopedia of World Biography. Birthdate: November 08, 1866. Husband of Jane Gaston. 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. In 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. Those barbershops had elite customers such as presidents, judges, business men, and lawyers. . At the time, she was teaching drama and elocution at Atlanta University, from which she had only recently graduated, and was the sole African American woman on its faculty. 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