. Do you find this information helpful? 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. 3. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 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. His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. The article emphasizes his competence and success as a businessman. He took his presumed father's surname. .post_pagi a i:hover{ 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. 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. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. never acknowledged paternity. He also became the president of this company. Du Bois Niagara Movement. Herndon was featured in The Crisis Magazine's Men of the Month in March 1921. It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. Alonzo is originated from United States. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; content:'Main Menu'; At age seven the young Herndonalong with his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparentsentered freedom homeless and destitute. 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. .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;} Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). 2. color:#5a5d5a; .slider-wrapper .flex-slider .fs-caption-overlay{ Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. [citation needed]. 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. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. 3. Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. By 1922 the company had more than $400,000 in assets. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlanta 's wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. /*margin-digbar*/ Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. 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. Biography. .page blockquote{ Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. } As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. 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. Guided in part by advice and information he picked up from his wealthy, influential clientele, Herndon invested the majority of his profits in real estate. Henderson, Alexa. He was a member of W.E.B. } [4] Herndon and his family attended the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. Herndon launched a business with only a formal education, but he was determined to make it. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. She still harbored dreams of a career in acting, however, and had agreed to marry Herndon only if he promised to let her pursue it. [1] letter-spacing:0.4px; color:#494bbc; Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. If so, interview or read about that persons life and write it in your own words, create a Powerpoint presentation about that person or create a video presentation. Despite his beginnings as a slave, through hard work and determination Alonzo was able to make his own success. Husband of Jane Gaston. } Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. !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"); 1890. However, the date of retrieval is often important. line-height:22px; ::-moz-selection{ 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). } color:#999; A 1916 reorganization made Herndon's company a shareholder-owned one, but he held the majority of stock. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu .menu a:hover { Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. Herndon set out to make the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association into a leading provider of life insurance for African Americans in the South. The Herndon family home was eventually turned into a museum, and was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. His business was very great and he could expand it. #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Only a year later, he was invited to move his premises to one of the citys fanciest hotels, Markham House. Looking to make his fortune in a place that offered better opportunities for blacks, Herndon relocated to Rome, Georgia, and then Chattanooga, Tennessee, but at one point was so discouraged by his business setbacks that he thought about quitting altogether and taking in a job a plow factory. Merritt, Carole, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002. [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. .loader { Birthdate: November 08, 1866. } 20072023 Blackpast.org. .home .navigation .menu > li > a, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after, .home .navigation ul li a, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.navigation .menu > li > a, header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after, .navigation ul li a, header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.smaller .navigation .menu > li > a,.home header.smaller .navigation .menu > li > a,.home header.smaller #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after,.home.page-template-magazine-template .navigation .menu > li > a, .home.page-template-magazine-template header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:after{ Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. 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 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. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. Warren, New Jersey 07061 line-height:48px; In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; Atlanta, GA 30318 Herndons business thrived. Living in a small shack with his mother, younger brother, maternal grandparents, and members of several other families caught in the same dilemma, Herndon helped out by selling peanuts, molasses, and axle grease. 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. He was even a delegate to the first conference of the National Negro Business League organized by Washington in 1890, and was involved in Du Bois's 1905 Niagara Movement, a conference held in Fort Erie, Ontario that eventually led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 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. Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. } Company Herndons prominence and influence were enhanced by his family life. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. When W. E. B. 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 . Subscribe to ournews alerts here, follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook. The staff of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Branch Office, ca. Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. } 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. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. FUN FACTS. They had one son together, Norris B. Herndon. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. Merritt, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family (Athens: University of Georgia She was the decorator. "Alonzo Herndon." 31. 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(? Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. color:#494bbc; All Stadiums England Premier League Championship League 1 League 2 National League National League North National League South All stadiums in England Premiership League 1 League 2 All grounds in Scotland Wales He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. .header-wrap-top .top-social-icon li a:hover{color:#f4c85e;} . In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Dreams Never Realized: The Strike of 1914-15, A Phoenix Reconsumed: The Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, Beyond the Cookies: The Girl Scouts of America, Rebecca Latimer Felton: Senator for a Day, The Empire of Pink Morton: Turn of the Century African-American Mogul, The Mother of the Girl Scouts: Juliette Gordon Low, Welcome South, Brother: Georgia's First Radio Station. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. } Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; } line-height:22px; .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{ Herndon was born a slave on June 26, 1858, in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, known as Social Circle. Employees: 32,000 Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. .footer-wrapper h4{ .home header.smaller, header.smaller{ Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. Follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook majority of stock with her, and copy the text for your.! National Historic Landmark Register in 2000 reorganization made Herndon 's company a shareholder-owned one, but he was one 25! 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5 facts about alonzo herndon
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