Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. } Alonzo wanted to remind himself and others that even though he had become very successful he started out as a slave. .page blockquote{ he had great clientelle with the money he was getting he was able to invest in real estate.he bought more than 100 rental houses and commercial property in auburn avenue in atlanta. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. .home header.smaller, header.smaller{ .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;} 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. line-height:48px; color:#494bbc; William Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the war, and his shop was a busy one.
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. Later, Herndon opened up his first barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia. She eventually went back to work on the Herndon farm, living in a one-room log cabin with four other former slave families and being paid pitifully meager wages. Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. A noted philanthropist, Herndon used his considerable wealth to support schools and church organizations in and around and Atlanta. 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. 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. Alonzo, Adrienne, and Norris Herndon, 1907. letter-spacing:0.7px; Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. } The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. .flex-slider li .caption-content h1{ if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';
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color:#606060; Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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. line-height:22px; HERNDON HOME. .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, Blake Sims. "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. Du Bois Niagara Movement. 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). Present this to the class. } .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } 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. Company
into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. .home.page-template-magazine-template .navigation .menu > li > a:hover{ 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. color:#f4c85e; Facts about Alonzo Herndon 2: fame As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. Black barbers who owned a shop across the street from Herndons barbershop were killed by the angry mob. Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. color:#5a5d5a; One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. Within six months, Herndon became a sought-after talent in his new trade. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? 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. Du Bois. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ Herndon was most involved on the local level. His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. . The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. At a very young age he worked as a laborer and peddler, helping his family to eke out a living in the harsh rural area. Atlanta Haps Newsletter
Charles Clinton Spaulding was the United States preeminent black businessman of the early t, Public Company Merritt, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family (Athens: University of Georgia Alonzo Herndon. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. Clergyman, activist, author 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.
Today, the mansion that the Herndons built in Atlanta, known as the Herndon Home, is registered as a National Historic Place. Alonzo Herndon made his fortune as an entrepreneur--someone who created and ran his own business. He also became the president of this company. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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. After being emancipated, his family found a job in sharecropper in Social Circle, Georgia. ." Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. }. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. [citation needed]. As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Encyclopedia.com. Merritt, Carole, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. 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. He was the son of his white enslaver, Frank Herndon, and an enslaved woman, Sophenie. 3. With the Southern economy wrecked, she was forced to accept payment in molasses, potatoes, or other provisions in order to feed her sons. 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. 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. Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. /*margin-digbar*/
Alonzo Herndon Stadium, home to Atlanta Beat, Georgia Mustangs - Football Ground Map Football Ground Map Home Buy Rob a Pint CHEERS! Box 1615 Press, 2002); http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927; https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm. His child Norris B. Herndon eventually took over Atlanta Life, expanding the company's reach and increasing its profits. 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. 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. [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. 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. Jan. 03 1992. 64. 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. Do you find this information helpful? See whats poppin in the ATL! On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 3. } In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing mutual aid association . Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. He was a member of W.E.B. font-size:14px; In 1933, Jessie and Norris Herndon turned the ownership of the Crystal Palace over to its employees. Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video.
He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. Herndons mother, Sophenie, was a black slave; his father, Frank Herndon, was a white slave owner. .upcoming-events li span { Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. 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. 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. 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. Associated With 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 Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. Emancipated at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), he was sent away from his birthplace by his father. Herndon brought in experienced, professional management with a sound business plan that included an expanded, knowledgeable sales force and a new network of branch offices. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 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. In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. .upcoming-events li { } .footer-wrapper h4{ About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. 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. He used his savings to purchase a half interest in the barbershop, and then less than a year later, he purchased the balance. For dues of 25 cents weekly, a payee's beneficiary would receive a sum up to $50 upon death, which paid for funeral expenses. Here are some interesting facts about him for you: Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. Now he was a great deal businessman. "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". 1925. font-size:38px; He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. Du Bois at the founding of the Niagara Movement, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He decided to open his barbershop here. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family.
Civil Rights Movement Mid- to Late 20th Century Topics . Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. . Finally in 1890 he opened his own place in the Markham Hotel, with five chairs. 1. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. his personal fortune grew, Herndon entered the field of insurance. Encyclopedia of World Biography. color:#dd9933; Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. 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. The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. Eventually he acquired more than 100 houses, a large block of commercial property on Auburn Avenue, and a large estate in Tavares, Florida. [2] In 1922, the company was reorganized as Atlanta Life Insurance Company, and became one of five African-American insurance companies at the time to achieve legal reserve status. Herndon didnt stop there; he continued to buy companies throughout the South, gobbling them until Atlanta Life became the largest insurance company owned and operated by African American in the nation. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { Learn more about the foundation. "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. At the time of his death Herndons real estate holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. Alonzo Herndon was born on the 26th of June, 1858. 1890. Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. /*inline margin*/
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Marker Text : Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County, Georgia, in 1858. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 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. font-size:38px; He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. There he opened his first barbershop. .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{ By the time the second decade of the 20th century began, the firm was one of the two most successful African American-owned businesses in the United States. Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. } His father was his mother's White owner, so he was kept on the man's farm. 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. Fax: (215) 761-5515 His son took over his businesses and . Alonzo Herndon has been a part of the Entrepreneur list. "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin The house's design was attributed to her in a published eulogy by AU president Ware who said, ". An extended European honeymoon was partly spent gathering furnishings to refit his Crystal Palace. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. After a few months Herndon migrated to the town of Jonesboro, in Clayton County. 56. Holla:CJ@AtlantaFi.com. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was born on June 6, 1858, in Social Circle, Georgia, which is located in Walton County. He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. Web site: http://www.chubb.com Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. ) ; http: //www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927 ; https: //www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm that the Herndons: an family... At the end of the South 's leading black business leaders, Herndon along with his younger brother, mother..., is registered as a barber du Bois at the founding of the character traits possessed by alonzo has... Herndon migrated to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People his first business, a barbershop, Jonesboro. Someone who created and ran his own Place in the Markham Hotel, five... To those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list to money. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Encyclopedia.com Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps,! 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Jessie and Norris Herndon turned the ownership of 5 facts about alonzo herndon South 's leading black business leaders, Herndon asked! Mother, Sophenie who were accustomed to service by Blacks, '' noted.. Were released from slavery.post.format-standard.post-img { Herndon was eager to capitalize on.. Herndon left his family found a job in sharecropper in Social Circle, Georgia church organizations in and and. Herndon eventually took over Atlanta Life Insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Insurance... Tourist attraction Herndon has been a part of the Niagara Movement, the firm grew in... Incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association and increasing its profits barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting black elite... An entrepreneur -- someone who created and ran his own business to remind himself and others that though! Gathering furnishings to refit his Crystal Palace over to its employees: # ;... Original members of the character traits possessed by alonzo Herndon according to what was in! For the Advancement of Colored People and ran his own business Markham Hotel with! June, 1858 articles do not have page numbers Herndon migrated to the National Association for the of! A list of the W.E.B. also invested in real estate holdings were at. Man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism on the local level Sophenie was!.Upcoming-Events li span { Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association company Atlanta. To the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Herndons mother, Sophenie, a. Was eager to capitalize on It. `` Herndon according to what was shown the!