Alonzo Herndon has been a part of the Entrepreneur list. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; background:#111; }); 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. } His son, Norris B. Herndon, became notable in his own right, expanding the insurance company into an empire.[6]. Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Brother of Melissa Herndon; Delilah Herndon; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon. Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu .menu a:hover { In 1893, he was married to Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, an Atlanta University drama instructor, scion of one of the citys most important black families and widely regarded as a great beauty. Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. An entrepreneur at heart, he learned barbering and eventually opened his own shop in Atlanta called the Crystal Palace and later founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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. .flex-slider .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-two .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a{color:#fff;border-color:#fff;background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);} .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, Year Erected: 2017. (2004). 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. Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video. fbq('init', '213902435871547'); Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. The staff of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Branch Office, ca. font-size:38px; Herndon received only a token amount of public schooling. 1. h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} Progressive voices like Henry Grady promoted a more diverse economy, welcoming northern investment, while populists like Tom Watson believed the focus should remain on the needs of working Georgians, particularly farmers. 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. color:#f4c85e; In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. His clientele included Atlantas leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. letter-spacing:0.4px; .flex-slider li .caption-content p{color:#fff;} 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. Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Many people simply call it as Atlanta Life. line-height:22px; 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. About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. img#wpstats{display:none} font-size:14px; Merritt, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family (Athens: University of Georgia As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. Herndon died in 1927, at 69. Herndon married Adrienne McNeil in 1893, a professor at Atlanta University, one of the many institutions he supported. color:#fff;} Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday. 1890. Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur. Emancipated at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), he was sent away from his birthplace by his father. He was known for being a Entrepreneur. } color:#494bbc!important; The family attended the First Congressional Church in Atlanta and was closely associated with Clark University and AMA schools. As his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. .upcoming-events li { [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. Herndon was featured in The Crisis Magazine's Men of the Month in March 1921. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { Age AintWhat?! Total Assets: $256.89 billion (2001) Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. 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. 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. "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ alonzo herndon in 1905 herndon bought a failing #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{ [3], In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University who helped him gain an education and refinement. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 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. [1] One of his large, refined, barbershops serving white customers was damaged by white rioters during the 1906 Atlanta race riot. /*margin-digbar*/ Feb. 24 1955. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. 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. 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. Atlanta, GA 30318 Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. .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{ BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Tweet. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. He stopped initially in the community of Senoia (in present-day Coweta County), where he worked as a farmhand and began learning the barbering trade. 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. The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. 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. 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. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. Alonzo Herndon. background:#f4c85e; AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? What Is The Herndon Foundation? Jan. 03 1992. .home header.smaller, header.smaller{ Herndon ventured into the realm of racial politics at the turn of the century by joining Booker T. Washington in establishing the National Negro Business League. In 1910 Alonzo and Jessie Herndon built the Herndon Home which at the time was one of the largest mansions in Atlanta. He developed a great reputation as a barber and his business thrived. } Like so many newly emancipated African Americans, the Herndons engaged in sharecroppinga system that kept them only a short step from slavery for many more years. 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. Insurance executive Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. By the time he was 20, Herndon had managed to save the sum of $11, and ran away from Social Circle with it. 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. And the company he founded, Atlanta Life, continues to prosper into the 21st century. } li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. Opened in 1902, it was fitted with opulent furnishings, 25 luxury hair-cutting stations, and several private rooms with bathtubs and showers. } Arriving in early 1883, he secured employment as a barber in a shop on Marietta Street owned by William Dougherty Hutchins, an African American. An entrepreneur at heart, he learned barbering and eventually opened his own shop in Atlanta called the Crystal Palace and later founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. background:#111; It remained a segregated establishment until it closed in 1972. value: 100, border-color:#f4c85e; He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. His funeral was an extraordinary event in the city, and Atlanta Life's Memphis chief, George W. Lee, was one of a lengthy list of eulogists who paid tribute to the company founder. Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. background:#f4c85e; At that time, he was 7 years old. U.S.A. Biography. It also was in 1905 that Herndon made the significant decision to enter the world of insurance finance, and purchased the struggling Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, which had been founded by a local African American pastor. The house's design was attributed to her in a published eulogy by AU president Ware who said, ". Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. [1], Through his enterprises, Herndon became Atlanta's first black millionaire. 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. "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. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Featured Content. 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. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Alexa Benson Herndon, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. He also became the president of this company. 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. The field hockey venue used during 1996 Summer Olympics located at Morris Brown College was named Herndon Stadium. McNeil had studied dramatic arts in Boston and New York, receiving the Belasco Gold Medal for excellence in expression in 1908. Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990); Carole Norris Herndon eventually established the Herndon Foundation, which became the new majority stockholder of Atlanta Life and a major donor to the city's cultural institutions. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 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 . He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. 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. 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