When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. As proprietor, Herndon personally saw to the barbering services provided to some of the most important figures in the state, earning their acquaintance and good will. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. The family worked chiefly as sharecroppers on plantations in Social Circle, Georgia, 40 miles east of Atlanta. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing mutual aid association . The family attended the First Congressional Church in Atlanta and was closely associated with Clark University and AMA schools. The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. Include how this persons life has affected your life. There he opened his first barbershop. His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Herndon died in 1927, at 69. They were homeless and living in poverty. fbq('track', 'PageView'); Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. } Herndon set out to make the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association into a leading provider of life insurance for African Americans in the South. 3. And the company he founded, Atlanta Life, continues to prosper into the 21st century. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { At his death in 1927, his real estate was assessed at nearly $325,000. As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Historian Marcellus Barksdale describes the Crystal Palace as fitting its name. In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. 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. Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 - July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. 56. 2. } [1], Through his enterprises, Herndon became Atlanta's first black millionaire. Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. 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. 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. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. 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. .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{ He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. 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. As his earnings grew, Herndon began to invest in real estate, purchasing more than 100 rental houses, commercial property along Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, and a plantation near Tavares, Florida. Alexa Benson Herndon, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black font-size:14px; The staff of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Branch Office, ca. Eventually he established Atlanta Life, an insurance company. .header a#pull,.home .header a#pull,.header-wrapper header.smaller a#pull,.page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before{ Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 At that time, he was 7 years old. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 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. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. } 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. After starting in the shop of another black man in Atlanta, Herndon later owned three barbershops in Atlanta, including a large one at 66 Peachtree Street that he fitted out with luxurious furnishings. AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); By 1922 the company had more than $400,000 in assets. Telephone: (908) 903-2000 background: #f4c85e; He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. At the time of. font-size:38px; } value: 100, It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. 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. Steve Jobs. He passed away on 21 July 1927. Employees: 32,000 The move was a success and Herndon became the premier barber among Atlantas rich and powerful. 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. 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. Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. By 1916, the Association was reorganized as a stock company capitalized at $25,000, most of which Herndon bought. Admired and respected by many, he was noted for his involvement in and support of local institutions and charities devoted to advancing African American business and community life. 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). Find ou another businessman in Alberto Alessi facts. 31. [1] On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. . border-color:#f4c85e; line-height:48px; 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. One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. } It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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 firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; 20072023 Blackpast.org. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{ U.S.A. 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. 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. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. At age seven the young Herndonalong with his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparentsentered freedom homeless and destitute. Many white men used African-American barbers in these years. [3], In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University who helped him gain an education and refinement. content:'Main Menu'; }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. Emancipated at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), he was sent away from his birthplace by his father. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. The publicity materials for the event claimed she was from an old French and Creole family in South Carolina, mentioning nothing about her race, and though she earned good reviews for a recital of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, no other roles came her way. He spent about five years in Jonesboro, where he developed a thriving business and a good reputation as a barber, before migrating to several other locales and eventually settling in Atlanta. 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. Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (18581927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. Alonzo Herndon. 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. 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. Mrs. Herndon and her stepson worked together in leading Atlanta Life to even greater success. In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. a:hover{ border-left: 3px solid #f4c85e; At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlanta 's wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. 3. "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. .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{ border-color:#f4c85e; . } On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 64. .flex-slider li .caption-content h1{ 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. .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;} His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. 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. As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Atlanta has a lot of inspirational people and AtlantaFi.com is going to introduce you to many of them as well as cool places to go, great restaurants and other ATL happenings. Alonzo Herndon is a famous Entrepreneur. Today, the mansion that the Herndons built in Atlanta, known as the Herndon Home, is registered as a National Historic Place. It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. 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. Retrieved Jul 14, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Web site: http://www.cigna.com } Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. 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. color:#ddd; 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. You can visit it in Vine City at 587 University Place NW. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. .footer-wrapper h4{ He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. In addition to serving as a role model and inspiration to generations of African American entrepreneurs, Herndon left a significant family legacy. Valued at nearly $ 325,000 son also contributed a lot to the east of Atlanta this persons Life has your. The Atlanta Life to even greater success Howe make us talk about the American inventor Atlanta, Georgia 40... 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