letter-spacing:0.4px; }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. . "Alonzo Herndon." He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. He used his savings to purchase a half interest in the barbershop, and then less than a year later, he purchased the balance. In 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? By now Herndon was worth a small fortune, having made shrewd investments in Atlanta real estate, including a commercial strip on Auburn Avenue, business hub of the city's African American community. 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. B. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. The Company rapidly expanded, establishing branches in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlanta 's wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. In 1878 Herndon left Social Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings and about a year of schooling. .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{ His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Featured Content. Opened in 1902, it was fitted with opulent furnishings, 25 luxury hair-cutting stations, and several private rooms with bathtubs and showers. He developed a great reputation as a barber and his business thrived. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. color:#f4c85e; font-size:14px; Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. 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. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. font-size:14px; Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. [citation needed]. "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. } } } 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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. 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(? AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. 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. } From a very young age, Herndon worked as a laborer, and a peddler, to help support his family, as only his mother could work in the early years. [1] Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. color:#494bbc!important; 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 a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. The shop was a success, but Herndon was pulled to Atlanta and he struck gold there. li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. 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. 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. color:; He decided to open his barbershop here. 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. Web site: http://www.chubb.com background:#fff; "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. As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Herndon was born a slave on June 26, 1858, in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, known as Social Circle. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. (2004). The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who then he bought a plantation near tavares florida. Company His father was his mother's White owner, so he was kept on the man's farm. .footer-wrapper li, 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. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. 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. .flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ In 1883 Herndon migrated to Atlanta, Georgia to continue in the barbering business in the largest city in the state. "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." 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin 31. He was known for being a Entrepreneur. background:#494bbc; .slider-wrapper .flex-slider .fs-caption-overlay{ his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 Walton County, Georgia July 21, 1927) was an African-American entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:0.7px; .upcoming-events li span { 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. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? Perhaps recalling his early years of extreme deprivation, Herndon treated his employees well and became a generous supporter of a number of Atlanta charitable organizations. .upcoming-events li { He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 color:#fff;} Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. 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. -webkit-box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.2);box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.12)} Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. 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). At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. In 1910, the house was built. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. color:#5a5d5a; Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Atlanta Haps Newsletter Alonzo wanted to remind himself and others that even though he had become very successful he started out as a slave. Fax: (215) 761-5515 Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Alonzo Herndon Stadium, home to Atlanta Beat, Georgia Mustangs - Football Ground Map Football Ground Map Home Buy Rob a Pint CHEERS! ::-moz-selection{ 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. color:#999; 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. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Alonzo, Adrienne, and Norris Herndon, 1907. .flex-slider li .caption-content h1{ The family worked chiefly as sharecroppers on plantations in Social Circle, Georgia, 40 miles east of Atlanta. font-size:38px; Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. 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. background:#f4c85e; 23 Feb. 2023 . When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. . .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{ June 26 Horoscope. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin. In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. 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