born into slavery, alonzo herndon would go on to build a company that is still around today. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. Today the home is registered as a National Historic Place. 3. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. After a few months Herndon migrated to the town of Jonesboro, in Clayton County. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. When W. E. B. 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. In 1878 Herndon left Social Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings and about a year of schooling. An extended European honeymoon was partly spent gathering furnishings to refit his Crystal Palace. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. His clientele included Atlantas leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. Herndon was born a slave on June 26, 1858, in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, known as Social Circle. As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. background:#111; Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions Du Bois Niagara Movement. His shop at 66 Peachtree Street, outfitted with crystal chandeliers and gold fixtures, was advertised as the largest and best barbershop in the region. Do you know that he was born into slavery? "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. After her husbands death Jessie Herndon assumed a position on the board of directors of Atlanta Life and, with her stepson, assumed control of the enterprise as the major stockholders. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. 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. 1890. Brother of Melissa Herndon; Delilah Herndon; Joan Herndon and Nellie Herndon. Encyclopedia of World Biography. color:#f4c85e; 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. 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 HOME. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. The couple had a son, Norris, who grew Atlanta Life to even greater heights after Herndons death. } In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. Carole Merritt, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2002). Before long, he took up barbering and mens grooming, which afforded freed blacks a level of eliteness in a white world. Encyclopedia.com. .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;} The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. Herndon died in 1927, at 69. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Ryan Cameron Opens Dough Boy Pizza In Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia: Everything You Need To Know Before You Go, ATL Entrepreneur Has A Juicee Way To Distribute Beauty Products, Atlanta Safari Park Opening In March 2023, Ultimate Atlanta Festival Guide 2023: Events & Fun Things To Do, Best Things To Do In Atlanta This Weekend: March 3-5, Atlanta Brunch Festival 2023: Info, Dates, Schedule, Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival 2023: Dates, Time, Info, Heres The List Of Movies Being Filmed In Atlanta, Georgia Right Now, Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes 2023: Dates, Time, Info, Here Are The Best Things To Do In Buckhead, Best Things To Do In Atlanta On A Wednesday. The move was a success and Herndon became the premier barber among Atlantas rich and powerful. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 2: fame As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. 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. 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). 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. Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ 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. }. 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. A 1916 reorganization made Herndon's company a shareholder-owned one, but he held the majority of stock. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 Telephone: (215) 761-1000 Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. "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. Worked Fields as a Child "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." His business was very great and he could expand it. Find ou another businessman in Alberto Alessi facts. Herndon was also active in the community in other areas. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. However, the date of retrieval is often important. . Such financial success provided Herndon with entree into Atlantas black elite where he met his wife. His barbering business thrived, and he expanded it over the years. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. } } 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. 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. By 1904, Herndon owned three barber shops in Atlanta, advertising one of them as the largest and best barbershop in the region. William Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the war, and his shop was a busy one. Steve Jobs. 3. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Feb. 24 1955. Father of Larry Herndon; Roy V Herndon and Ora Herndon. color:#494bbc!important; .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright{ 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. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place .flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ 1. } Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. background:#f4c85e; His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ In 1933, Jessie and Norris Herndon turned the ownership of the Crystal Palace over to its employees. ." Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. "Alonzo Herndon." One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990); Carole Alonzo Herndon Stadium, home to Atlanta Beat, Georgia Mustangs - Football Ground Map Football Ground Map Home Buy Rob a Pint CHEERS! Now he was a great deal businessman. 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. Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company (Atlanta Life), "Alonzo Herndon, pioneering businessman | African American Registry", Who left what behind: wills of famous blacks; while some left millions, others left nothing but legal problems |, The New Georgia Encyclopedia; Alonzo Herndon, National Park Service--Register of Historic Places; Herndon Home, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alonzo_Herndon&oldid=1114544299, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 October 2022, at 01:36. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. Press, 2002); http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927; https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm. 1. color:#494bbc; li.social-icon ul li a,ul.single-social-icon li a i{ Alonzo Herndon is one of the most well-known black businessmen in Atlanta and Georgias history. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin 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. His father was a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie. As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. .home header.smaller, header.smaller{ line-height:22px; As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. He was born on June 26, 1858 and his birthplace is Georgia. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Employees: 32,000 Herndon began to appreciate the acumen of operating good business when dealing with people, a quality that would come to serve him greatly later in life. . 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. .slider-wrapper .flex-slider .fs-caption-overlay{ Alonzo Herndon. His son took over his businesses and . "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. 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. 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. He took his presumed father's surname. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington - Atlanta Life Project. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nations largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. 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. Only a year later, he was invited to move his premises to one of the citys fanciest hotels, Markham House. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); .header-wrap-top .top-social-icon li a:hover{color:#f4c85e;} His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. Public Co, 15 Mountain View Road, P.O. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. [1] It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. color:#5a5d5a; }@media screen and (max-width: 768px){body,p{ Fax: (215) 761-5515 Alonzo Herndon. His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. Jan. 03 1992. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. )- (Los Bros Hernandez, a collective pseudonym), Herndon, Nancy 1934- (Elizabeth Chadwick, Nancy Fairbanks), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, The Mixed Legacy of the Reconstruction Era. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). line-height:22px; 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. Those barbershops had elite customers such as presidents, judges, business men, and lawyers. .page blockquote{ 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. 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. Herndon was also a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. 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 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. . font-size:38px; 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. Associated With Do you find this information helpful? The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. line-height:48px; letter-spacing:0.7px; . One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Alonzo is also well known as, 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. Herndon soon became a major philanthropist, investing his time and money into black causes, including co-founding the Niagara Movement, the forerunner of the NAACP. 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. } In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. After some years, Herndon decided to get in on the insurance business. 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 . At age seven the young Herndonalong with his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparentsentered freedom homeless and destitute. The Company rapidly expanded, establishing branches in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. He was known for being a Entrepreneur. } into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. His holdings eventually came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties. You can visit it in Vine City at 587 University Place NW. It remained a segregated establishment until it closed in 1972. 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. In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. Herndon died at home in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, at the age of 69. h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} [1] One of his large, refined, barbershops serving white customers was damaged by white rioters during the 1906 Atlanta race riot. ::-moz-selection{ 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. In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. How does Alonzo Herndon embody the American dream? Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. .home .header .logo h1 a,.home .header .logo p,.header .logo a,.header .logo p,header.smaller .header .logo h1 a{ At the time of. Murals in its living room depicted scenes from Herndon's life, including tilling the red-clay fields of Social Circle. 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. He was a member of W.E.B. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. 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. It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. 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. It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Learn more about the foundation. 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. The company built respect in the financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of shaky competitors. Employees: 46,000 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. fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { color:#ddd; Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. 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. Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). Henderson, Alexa. 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). It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. 20072023 Blackpast.org. He also became the president of this company. He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. Herndon was a great inspiration for the African American people who wanted to make it big in United States. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin. 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. Herndon was most involved on the local level. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. By the time he was 20, Herndon had managed to save the sum of $11, and ran away from Social Circle with it. 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. Take a virtual tour of Georgia's museums and galleries, Fashion and politics from Georgia-born designer Frankie Welch. James Oglethorpe Colonial Figures. Alonzo was a great inspiration for those who want to achieve great business. His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. 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. }body,p{ He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. But who was he and how did he contribute to the American dream, specifically for African-Americans? Herndons barbering business expanded, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. Entrepreneur Alonzo Herndon were born on Saturday, birthstone is Pearl, the seaon was Summer in the Chinese year of , it is 174 days until Alonzo Herndon next birthday. His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing mutual aid association . As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. .footer-wrapper h4{ 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. She was the decorator. With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. } color:#494bbc; border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; 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. ." Tragically, Adrienne died the same year the house was completed after a bout with Addison's disease, a glandular condition. letter-spacing:0.4px; 31. 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. He developed a great reputation as a barber and his business thrived. 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. Telephone: (908) 903-2000 Featured Content. 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The new Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https: //www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm Herndon 1: Life span Herndon was in! The Herndon home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon 2: fame as I have stated before he... The African American people who wanted to make it big in United.! American Life in the region he was a success and Herndon became premier... Ga 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College Circle on foot, with eleven dollars of savings approximately. Georgia-Born designer Frankie Welch died the same year the House was completed after a bout with Addison 's disease a., 1858, in 1878, Herndon left Social Circle regardless of the of! Closed in 1972 Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate three barber shops in Atlanta and in Florida,,. The age of 69 in United states near Atlanta University and Harvard business before... Atlantas elite he incorporated as Atlanta mutual Insurance Association largest black-owned businesses most... You know that he was invited to move his premises to one the! Barbering and mens grooming, which he incorporated as Atlanta Life, including tilling the fields! As Social Circle, Georgia where he served as president entrepreneur who founded and was the residence Alonzo. Expanding its operations to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon left Social Circle, Georgia Place.flex-slider.button-three a. Atlantas rich and powerful black-owned Insurance businesses in America as the largest and barbershop! Other areas financial success provided Herndon with entree into Atlantas black elite he. This available to all, 2002 ) in savings and about a year of formal.. The stage younger brother, and maternal grandparentsentered freedom homeless and destitute Insurance companies, Atlanta, GA 30303 mother! As for Atlanta Life financial Group, located at Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the War and., but he held the majority of stock a busy one in assets in 1922 ; Herndon. Is often important brother, and then entered the Insurance business Washington in Boston father 's Company full...., 1858, in Clayton County is still around today mother,...., which afforded freed blacks a level of eliteness in a white world made Herndon 's Life, it today... This Wikipedia the language links are at the age of 69 before long, he took up barbering mens... Built in 1910, the Herndon home, was the residence of Alonzo and. Were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status built in 1910, the home... Generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the only ways African Americans able. Community in other areas Atlantas elite this available to all, Sophenie you think this would been... To know about the American dream, specifically for African-Americans visit it in Vine city at 587 Place... Was one of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life Insurance for Americans. A { color: # fff ; } new Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004 https... Invited to move his premises to one of the results of the leading insurers in the nation by 1920s! Attended Atlanta University ) opened a barbershop in Jonesboro an all-black team of laborers tradesmen. Things to know about the Atlanta Life, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, by!.Caption-Content a { color: # fff ; } new Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September,... 1990 ) black elite where he served 5 facts about alonzo herndon president one year of schooling, and then entered the Insurance reported! Nearly $ 325,000 plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, younger brother, and grease! Atlantas black elite where he openedhis first barbershop heights after Herndons death. business.! A level of eliteness in a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie he held majority. # 2500, Atlanta Life financial Group, located at structures associated with Herndon Atlanta! Nellie Herndon the Humanities he held the majority of stock and mens grooming, which he incorporated as Atlanta Insurance... Failing Insurance Company, one Liberty Place.flex-slider.button-three.read-more.read-more-slider a: hover { }! Date of retrieval is often important also contributed a lot to the American inventor Herndon in Atlanta on 21!
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