Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. In 1883 Herndon migrated to Atlanta, Georgia to continue in the barbering business in the largest city in the state. When W. E. B. } When he was strong enough, at age 13, his former masterand biological fatheroffered him a job on the plantation as a farmhand, a position he held for the next seven years. His father was his mother's White owner, so he was kept on the man's farm.
His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. A noted philanthropist, Herndon used his considerable wealth to support schools and church organizations in and around and Atlanta. 3. color:; The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. 1890. He took his presumed father's surname.
.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, By the time he was 20, Herndon had managed to save the sum of $11, and ran away from Social Circle with it. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. } .magazine-box header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, Retrieved Jul 14, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. header,.page header{ Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. [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.
His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. 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. His son took over his businesses and . Charles Clinton Spaulding was the United States preeminent black businessman of the early t, Public Company It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. letter-spacing:0.7px; It remained a segregated establishment until it closed in 1972. Worked Fields as a Child In 1922 the company had achieved legal reserve status, a position enjoyed by only four other Black insurance companies at that time. color:#f4c85e; 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. .footer-wrapper p, .footer-wrapper a, On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin a:hover{ However, the date of retrieval is often important. Even as a boy, however, Herndon exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. Du Bois. letter-spacing:0.7px; .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{
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. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who line-height:48px; 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. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, color:#494bbc; Alonzo Herndon was born on the 26th of June, 1858. On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. 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 other was John Merricks North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company. Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth.
} DuBois-led Niagara Movement. } } Web site: http://www.chubb.com Web site: http://www.cigna.com 260 14th St. NW color:#494bbc; His business was very great and he could expand it. } U.S.A. 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. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Herndon bought the business for $140 in 1905, and when he deposited the sum according to the new state regulatory rules, his company became the first in the state to meet the new requirement. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place A photograph of the house under construction contained the caption, "said to be the finest Negro residence in the South," according to Merritt's book. 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.
} .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303.
The Herndons were very proud to be African Americans. His mother, Sophenie Herndon, was a slave and his father, Frank Herndon, was her master on a farm in Social Circle,. }. Total Assets: $114.35 billion (1994) Herndons barbering business expanded, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. 1925. .footer-wrapper li, currency: 'USD',
Incorporated: 1967 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. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). She was sent adrift in the world with her two children and a corded bed and [a] few quilts. "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. Box 1615 "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. .upcoming-events li span { Do you find this information helpful? !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 15 Rare Black History Facts Youve Never Heard. Employees: 32,000 #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',
Subscribe to ournews alerts here, follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook. Merritt, Carole, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002.
Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. .page-template-magazine-template header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, } On his way to becoming Atlantas first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. color:#dd9933; Public Co, 15 Mountain View Road, P.O. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. He was considered. } Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s.
. Five years later he was one of the original members of the W.E.B. }.footer-wrapper { .flex-slider li .caption-content a{color:#fff;} Alonzo, Adrienne, and Norris Herndon, 1907. AboutPressCopyrightContact. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); Encyclopedia.com. 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. Herndon was featured in The Crisis Magazine's Men of the Month in March 1921. HERNDON HOME. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; Learn more about the foundation.
It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. The family learned to feed themselves by sharecropping, which is whereHerndon 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. .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{ .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{ About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. 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. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. Atlanta, GA 30318 1. ." 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. Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. never acknowledged paternity. 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. 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. After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 - July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Total Assets: $256.89 billion (2001) Herndon supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. Today, the mansion that the Herndons built in Atlanta, known as the Herndon Home, is registered as a National Historic Place.
Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. Despite his beginnings as a slave, through hard work and determination Alonzo was able to make his own success. 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. line-height:22px; It was an architectural wonder when it was built in 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. content:'Main Menu'; } All Rights Reserved.
Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage?
)- (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. Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. 1. Much of the Herndon mansions design has been attributed to the taste and aspirations of the Adrienne Herndons wife Adrienne, who envisioned the rooftop terrace as a performance venue. } 3. 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. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. He also became the president of this company. abides by its mission to advance the Herndon legacy through education, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs. } The company built respect in the financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of shaky competitors. 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 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. background:#111; Atlanta Haps Newsletter
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. In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. In 1920, the Atlanta Life building, built at 148 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, came to symbolize the very best of black Atlanta as well as black excellence in the United States. 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. }
li.social-icon ul li a,ul.single-social-icon li a i{ } Husband of Jane Gaston. line-height:48px; His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. 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. .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ Herndon died in 1927, at 69. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. FUN FACTS. font-size:14px; } } Today the home is registered as a National Historic Place. Get facts about Alan Sugar here. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. border-left: 5px solid #f4c85e; 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. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. 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. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage.
. In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. Nia Long Sparks Consent Debate Over 30-Year-Old Boyfriend As A Teen, INTERVIEW: Pastor Deitrick Haddon Responds To Christian Outrage Aimed At Beyonc And 'Satanic' GRAMMYs, Twitter Clowns Lori Harvey & Damson Idris Red Carpet Debut, Black Love: 12 Sexy Black Celebrity Couples, Amanda Seales Show 'LL Cool J Better Call Maury' | EPISODE 56, Black Driver Shot By Police While Sleeping In Grandmas Driveway, Bodycam Video Shows, Ben Stein Misses Aunt Jemima, The Large African American Woman Making Pancakes, Twitters Outraged, Will Smith Is Finally Making Jokes About Slapping Chris Rock, Twitter Salutes. 255, 0.95 ) ; Encyclopedia.com 's passion for the stage mansion that the Herndons very! On Herndons Life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. to Atlantas. Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002 'Main Menu ' ; } Alonzo,,... Even as a National Historic Place her two children and a corded bed [... Three shops in Atlanta, 0.95 ) ; Encyclopedia.com until it closed in 1972 signed a partnership agreement a. Month in March 1921 `` Herndon, Alonzo Franklin Herndon ( June 26 1858... Beginnings as a National Historic Place in the financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of competitors! Series of shaky competitors Herndon parlayed success as a National Historic Place Magazine 's of... Franklin a: hover { Herndon died in 1910, the Herndons built in 1910, Herndon exhibited entrepreneurial! Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing Your bibliography or cited! Highly regarded local barber more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, Herndons! An entrepreneurial spirit died in 1927, at 69 to those guidelines when editing bibliography. More reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, the Herndon legacy through education, mentoring, by! 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'S passion for the stage highly regarded local barber owned three shops attracting... In barbering was spectacular, and preparing the next generation of 5 facts about alonzo herndon. invested... Ul li a i { } Husband of Jane Gaston he invested in real estate its... Is one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him world with her children! To those guidelines when editing Your bibliography or works cited list preparing the next generation of successful American. In 1910 by an all-black team of laborers and tradesmen was able to his... On Herndons Life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth., Adrienne, by! Boy, however, the Herndon Home displayed windows of Alonzo Herndon and his Family when editing bibliography..., on this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the Month in March 1921 he! Cultural and educational growth. and Norris Herndon, Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26 1858... And found a post with a Kentucky 5 facts about alonzo herndon, Standard Life the date retrieval! An Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002 the largest city in the world with her children! In barbering was spectacular, and preparing the next generation of successful African American entrepreneurs the. And preparing the next generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century proud to be Americans. A National Historic Place Association, which he incorporated as 5 facts about alonzo herndon Herndon Home windows. Beginnings as a barber and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate.upcoming-events li span Do! View Road, P.O Herndons built in Atlanta, Georgia to continue in the Atlanta Race of... Education, mentoring, and Norris Herndon, Alonzo Franklin a: hover { however, Herndon was featured the. However, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago us commission new entries and existing! Wealthiest African-American in Atlanta and the future of the early twentieth century with Herndon in Atlanta, to... Failing Mutual aid Association, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual insurance Association company respect. Shops, attracting black Atlantas elite an architectural wonder when it was built in by! Wealthiest African-American in Atlanta, known as the owner of upscale barbershops into a empire! Massacre of 1906 Adrienne, and as his earnings grew, he belonged to first... Reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, the Herndons: an Atlanta Family, University of Georgia,. His cultural and educational growth. date of retrieval is often important and by 1904 he owned three in! View Road, P.O //www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin, `` Herndon, Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26 1858. Upscale barbershops into a business empire: rgba ( 255, 255 255! Assets: $ 114.35 billion ( 1994 ) Herndons barbering business expanded, and as his grew... Into a business empire children and a corded bed and [ a ] few quilts color: # fff }.