.page-template-magazine-template header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, margin-bottom: 10px; .home header.smaller, header.smaller{ Herndons business thrived. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. 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. Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the . A 1916 reorganization made Herndon's company a shareholder-owned one, but he held the majority of stock. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { Herndon bought the business for $140 in 1905, and when he deposited the sum according to the new state regulatory rules, his company became the first in the state to meet the new requirement. } Facts about Alonzo Herndon 2: fame As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. He also became the president of this company. .page blockquote{ Atlanta's Alonzo Herndon, born into slavery, became one of the first African-American millionaires in the U.S., founding Atlanta Life Insurance Company, among 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 was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. United States, From Rags to Riches: The Story of Alonzo Herndon, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. His clientele included Atlantas leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. never acknowledged paternity. After 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 moved to Atlanta in 1883, bought a stake in a barbershop on Marietta Street, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. } He also invented his money in real estate. "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. Total Assets: $114.35 billion (1994) .header-wrap-top .top-social-icon li a:hover{color:#f4c85e;} After some years, Herndon decided to get in on the insurance business. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. 3. Brother of Melissa Herndon; Delilah Herndon; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon. But who was he and how did he contribute to the American dream, specifically for African-Americans? Herndon was most involved on the local level. In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. (February 23, 2023). } Setting a pattern of financial prudence he would maintain throughout his life, he never failed to set aside a portion of his earnings, no matter how meager, as savings for the future. 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. He had been approached by a couple of ministers in the community to acquire the company as something for the black community. Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. } The Herndon Home is a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark at 587 University Place NW, in Atlanta, Georgia.An elegant Classical Revival mansion with Beaux Arts influences, it was the home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927), a rags-to-riches success story who was born into slavery, but went on to become Atlanta's first black millionaire as founder and head of the Atlanta . letter-spacing:0.4px; Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. } At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. . 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. He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. Fax: (908) 580-3402 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. Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Steve Jobs. 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. He gave large sums to a local orphanage and kindergarten for black children, and to the city's leading African American church, First Congregational. 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. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); /*inline margin*/ Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. He passed away on 21 July 1927. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. 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. color:#f4c85e; background: #f4c85e; However, the date of retrieval is often important. color:#606060; 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. Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. He incorporated it as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. . 1. Do you find this information helpful? His child Norris B. Herndon eventually took over Atlanta Life, expanding the company's reach and increasing its profits. Atlanta, GA 30318 Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); List choice font-size:38px; ::-moz-selection{ She was a drama teacher at Atlanta University at the time. color:#dd9933; 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. His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. Herndons barbering business expanded, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. 2. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place Incorporated: 1967 li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, Herndon set out to make the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association into a leading provider of life insurance for African Americans in the South. In addition to serving as a role model and inspiration to generations of African American entrepreneurs, Herndon left a significant family legacy. currency: 'USD', HERNDON HOME. In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. Follow us onTwitter. .footer-wrapper li, document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. Employees: 46,000 Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. margin: ; When Emancipation happened, 7-year-old Alonzo, his mother, her parents and brother one of 25 slaves on the Herndon estate struck out on their own with nothing but the shoes on their feet. a:hover{ 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. Here are some interesting facts about him for you: Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. font-size:38px; His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. He was also involved in the Southview Cemetery Association, Atlanta Loan and Trust, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank, and was a key investor in Gate City Drug Company, the first black-owned drugstore on Auburn Avenue. .post_pagi a i:hover{ 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. Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. Birthdate: November 08, 1866. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. [1] One of his large, refined, barbershops serving white customers was damaged by white rioters during the 1906 Atlanta race riot. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. 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 Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday. Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. For dues of 25 cents weekly, a payee's beneficiary would receive a sum up to $50 upon death, which paid for funeral expenses. } his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. header,.page header{ One of Herndons most lasting contributions includes his role in establishing the United Negro College Fund. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. .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);} Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Eventually he acquired more than 100 houses, a large block of commercial property on Auburn Avenue, and a large estate in Tavares, Florida. Norris eventually settled down and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1921, where he was one of two blacks in his class. When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. background:#fff; In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ 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. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlantas wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. His insurance company was very successful since it was operated in some states in US such as Texas, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. 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. 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. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. .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{ The Herndons were very proud to be African Americans. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. 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. background:#f4c85e; His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. 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. .upcoming-events li span { It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. color:#ddd; } .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, } James Oglethorpe Colonial Figures. "Alonzo Herndon." His home was included in National Historic Landmark in United States in 2000. 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. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 According to the Atlanta Journal, Herndon and his all-Black barbering staff were known from Richmond all the way to Mobile as the best barbers in the South. Following the racial practices of the era, the Black barbers served an exclusively white clientele composed of the citys leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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. 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. 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. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) } He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. Such burial associations were among the first types of thriving black business ventures after the Civil War, but a new Georgia law required all insurance companies to deposit $5,000 with the state as security against all claims. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. 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. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. Herndon also used his wealth to support local institutions and causes, such as the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA), Atlanta University, the First Congregational Church, the Southview Cemetery, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. Because he possessed financial capital, Herndon was approached by two local ministers who asked him to help save their fledgling insurance company, the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Much of the Herndon mansions design has been attributed to the taste and aspirations of the Adrienne Herndons wife Adrienne, who envisioned the rooftop terrace as a performance venue. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is Alonzo Herndon Stadium, an old 15,011-seat stadium that was once used for sports events at the school. .loader { 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. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; 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. Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Alonzo Herndon in advancement of the rights of African Americans or Blacks in the New South Era. Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). 2. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. "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." "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". It remained a segregated establishment until it closed in 1972. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. 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. 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. .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ } if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ He was born on June 26, 1858 and his birthplace is Georgia. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. Encyclopedia.com. Incorporateci: 1866 as National Travelers Insurance Herndon employed an acquisition strategy where he bought out failing insurance businesses and merged them with his company. Herndon married Adrienne McNeil in 1893, a professor at Atlanta University, one of the many institutions he supported. They were homeless and living in poverty. Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. . The other was John Merricks North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company. Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. letter-spacing:0.4px; His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. Henderson, Alexa. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. 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. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Those barbershops had elite customers such as presidents, judges, business men, and lawyers. Du Bois. color:#f4c85e; Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . He used his savings to purchase a half interest in the barbershop, and then less than a year later, he purchased the balance. Atlanta Life Insurance company, one of the results of the many institutions he supported on. 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