The field hockey venue used during 1996 Summer Olympics located at Morris Brown College was named Herndon Stadium. He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. Feb. 24 1955. 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. Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur. 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. } It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). #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{ 8.
One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. }
.footer-wrapper li, 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. In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. For dues of 25 cents weekly, a payee's beneficiary would receive a sum up to $50 upon death, which paid for funeral expenses. Total Assets: $114.35 billion (1994) Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. } .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } Learn more about the foundation. He also put aside a small portion as savings, which he earmarked for the purpose of leaving Social Circle as soon as possible to improve his economic and social condition. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. Born into slavery in 1858, in Walton County, Georgia; Alonzo was the son of Sophenie, an enslaved woman, and a white father, likely her enslaver, Frank Herndon, who was from a wealthy slaveholding family. color:#606060; Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. 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. .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} His insurance company was very successful since it was operated in some states in US such as Texas, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. color:#5a5d5a; Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. 2. How does Alonzo Herdon embody the American dream? Do you know that he was born into slavery? In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. }
.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;} Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. 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. color:#f4c85e; An. "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". He developed a great reputation as a barber and his business thrived. }@media screen and (max-width: 768px){body,p{ Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. Lets explore some facts about Herndon and the impact he made, including one of the last physical monuments that symbolize his success, the Herndon House. Henry McNeal Turner was for many years the leading advocate of black migration to Africa a, Public Company Employees: 32,000 color:#5a5d5a; 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. Tweet. 31. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. Alonzo Herndon with his mother, Sophenie, and his brother, Thomas, ca. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { 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. .post-share i.fa:hover, .footer-copyright .social-icon ul li a:hover, .header-bottom .social-icon ul li a:hover, .content .post-content .read-more a, a.more-link, ul li a:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit, ol.commentlist li .reply a, .th-widget-recent-post .th-recent-post h5 a:hover, .widget .twitter-user a, .standard-layout .format-link h2, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .format-quote blockquote p:before, .widget .tagcloud a:hover, .content .post-content .description p a, .page-description p a, .multipage-links span, .content .navigation.post-navigation .nav-links a:hover, .content #main .pagination a:hover, .post-title h2:hover{color:#f4c85e;} It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. 23 Feb. 2023 . Birthdate: November 08, 1866. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. .navigation .menu > li > a:hover,.navigation ul li a:hover,header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after,.navigation ul ul.sub-menu a:hover,.smaller .navigation ul li a:hover, .home .smaller .navigation .menu > li > a:hover,.navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Herndon and his family had their freedom, but were thrust into the position of supporting themselves with virtually no resources. Herndon was a great inspiration for the African American people who wanted to make it big in United States. See whats poppin in the ATL! 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. After his first wifes death in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago, whose influence and support also aided her husband in his business and social life. Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. When W. E. B. 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A 1916 reorganization made Herndon's company a shareholder-owned one, but he held the majority of stock. (Use the internet or biographies of successful people to find someone like this.) line-height:48px; #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu .menu a:hover { Luckily, Herndon had already gone home for the day. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. Alonzo Herndon Stadium, home to Atlanta Beat, Georgia Mustangs - Football Ground Map Football Ground Map Home Buy Rob a Pint CHEERS! Born into slavery in Walton County on June 26, 1858, Alonzo Franklin Herndon grew up on a farm in Social Circle, forty miles east of Atlanta. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; Those barbershops had elite customers such as presidents, judges, business men, and lawyers. 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 ." document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. His father was a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie. The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. } Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ Henderson, Alexa. Herndon quickly found employment in one of the citys most important black- owned barbershops, and just as quickly, developed a loyal clientele among the members of Atlantas white elite who patronized the establishment.
Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. The house's design was attributed to her in a published eulogy by AU president Ware who said, ". Employees: 46,000 With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. .page blockquote{ Include how this persons life has affected your life. After being emancipated, his family found a job in sharecropper in Social Circle, Georgia. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. Alonzo Herndon. 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. In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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(? header,.page header{ He also invented his money in real estate. Civil Rights Movement Mid- to Late 20th Century Topics . "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. .footer-wrapper td{
Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. Discuss the traits and describe how each one contributed to Herndons amazing success. } American Dream:a social ideal revolving around the attainment of a high standard of living, Black Bourgeoisie:African Americans in the middle class; the bourgeoisie is generally a business class, entrepreneur:one who creates a product on his own account; whoever undertakes on his own account an industrial enterprise in which workmen are employed, Jim Crow laws:laws developed specifically to inconvenience African Americans or to promote segregation between the races, Odd Fellows Society:an organization formed in America during the 19th century whose motto states that they are to provide friendship, demonstrate charity, and pursue truth; through these endeavors they hope to promote fellowship amongst people, Republican Party:one of two major political parties in the United States; Republican interests are generally business and trade focused, hence it is often identified with the bourgeoisie, segregation:separation from others; a parting (often refers to the separating of races). Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. 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. } 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. } Du Bois called a meeting of selected Black leaders to organize the Niagara Movement, Herndon was among the twenty-nine men who attended the founding meeting in 1905. In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. } With the Southern economy wrecked, she was forced to accept payment in molasses, potatoes, or other provisions in order to feed her sons. 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. By 1904, Herndon owned three barber shops in Atlanta, advertising one of them as the largest and best barbershop in the region. Insurance business.footer-wrapper li, Herndon was born into slavery norris B. Herndon, slave... The firm grew rapidly in the region 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta GA. A highly regarded local barber plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie it was 40! 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