Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. Du Bois at the founding of the Niagara Movement, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. font-size:38px; The family attended the First Congressional Church in Atlanta and was closely associated with Clark University and AMA schools. An extended European honeymoon was partly spent gathering furnishings to refit his Crystal Palace. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ Fittingly, Herndon had asked that his pallbearers be drawn from among his barber staff. font-size:14px; Alonzo was a great inspiration for those who want to achieve great business. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. ." border-left: 3px solid #f4c85e; However, the date of retrieval is often important. In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. . [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. Include how this persons life has affected your life. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. Herndon married Adrienne McNeil in 1893, a professor at Atlanta University, one of the many institutions he supported. By the time of his death in 1927, Herndon was Atlanta, Georgias wealthiest African American and one of the first black millionaires in the United States. In 1915, he ventured into Alabama, and the acquired another Georgia insurance company, Union Mutual, the largest black-owned insurer in the state. 2. She was sent adrift in the world with her two children and a corded bed and [a] few quilts. At age seven the young Herndonalong with his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparentsentered freedom homeless and destitute. Read more Reading age 8 - 10 years Print length 28 pages Language English Grade level 3 - 4 Dimensions His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; "There was a growing market of White men in post-Emancipation Atlanta who were accustomed to service by Blacks," noted Merritt. At age 20, Herndon decided to broaden his horizons, first taking a job as a farmhand in the nearby town of Senoia, then taking a part-time position in Jonesboro as a barber. (2004). #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Herndon was also active in the community in other areas. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 In mourning, he threw himself into managing his new business. .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ He called it the Crystal Palace after the famous structure built for the 1851 Worlds Fair in London. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Do you find this information helpful? American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (18581927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Herndon and his family had their freedom, but were thrust into the position of supporting themselves with virtually no resources. Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. Du Bois Niagara Movement. As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. What Is The Herndon Foundation? 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. One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. All Rights Reserved. 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. He had been approached by a couple of ministers in the community to acquire the company as something for the black community. Herndon was most involved on the local level. } The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. Herndons first wife passed in 1910, and he married Jessie Herndon in 1910. .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{ .upcoming-events li { 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. Many white men used African-American barbers in these years. } .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Herndon soon opened his first business, a barbershop, in Jonesboro. background: #f4c85e; In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. Alonzo F. Herndon is regarded by most historical accounts as Atlantas first Black millionaire, and certainly one of the wealthiest in the early 20th Century. Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192-1550 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. background:#111; Herndon also used his wealth to support local institutions and causes, such as the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA), Atlanta University, the First Congregational Church, the Southview Cemetery, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. Alonzo Herndon. no architect drew the plan. 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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Overcoming poverty and illiteracy, he had risen in his lifetime from slavery to become the wealthy head of a leading Black business that has survived into the twenty-first century and is consistently listed among the top Black financial companies as ranked by Black Enterprise magazine. 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. His father was a white plantation farmer and owner of Herndons mother, Sophenie. color:#494bbc; } font-size:14px; The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who [3], In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University who helped him gain an education and refinement. } He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. .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{ Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); 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. His clientele included Atlantas leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. The family worked chiefly as sharecroppers on plantations in Social Circle, Georgia, 40 miles east of Atlanta. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; 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. When he turned 20, Herndon left the farm with just $11 dollars and a year of schooling. As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. 1. Associated With 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. FUN FACTS. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. 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. ." Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. Tweet. background:#111; Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. In 1905 he became the founder and president of what he built to be one of the United States' most well-known and successful African-American businesses, the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company (Atlanta Life). 1890. Herndon and the prominent writer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass both spent their early years in slavery. 1. His holdings eventually came to include more than 100 residential and commercial properties. Follow us onTwitter. value: 100, Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . } Such financial success provided Herndon with entree into Atlantas black elite where he met his wife. margin: ; His son was more reluctant to follow in his footsteps, however, for Norris Herndon had inherited Adrienne's passion for the stage. [citation needed]. }); img#wpstats{display:none} The job opened the door to his future. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. 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. , in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a Kentucky firm, Standard.. European honeymoon was partly spent gathering furnishings to refit his Crystal Palace that... 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