Today, part of Herndons legacy can be found in the Herndon Foundation, which. What Is The Herndon Foundation? See whats poppin in the ATL! Herndon was a successful entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the civil rights of African-Americans as well as their continued higher education after high school. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. "Significantly, Alonzo chose field labor rather than barbering to depict his critical path to success." Herndon's significant investments in property allowed him to improve a great deal of housing stock in the city that . In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. } Associated With 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. AboutPressCopyrightContact. It is one of a few structures associated with Herndon in Atlanta and the success he brought to the city. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. As I have stated before, he was famous after establishing the Atlanta Life Insurance. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washingtons National Negro Business League in 1900. Alonzo and Adrienne had a son, Norris. An. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. 2. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. 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. Husband of Jane Gaston. color:#f4c85e; Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. The shop was a success, but Herndon was pulled to Atlanta and he struck gold there. Herndon worked on his fathers plantation near Social Circle, Georgia. Encyclopedia.com. In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University, who influenced his cultural and educational growth. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is Alonzo Herndon Stadium, an old 15,011-seat stadium that was once used for sports events at the school. Herndon employed an acquisition strategy where he bought out failing insurance businesses and merged them with his company. How does Alonzo Herdon embody the American dream? Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. margin: ; Birthdate: November 08, 1866. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. 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. He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; Herndons prominence and influence were enhanced by his family life. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. } With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. 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. He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. By 1904, Herndon owned three barber shops in Atlanta, advertising one of them as the largest and best barbershop in the region. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{ The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. Alonzo wanted to remind himself and others that even though he had become very successful he started out as a slave. }. /*margin-digbar*/ } Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. In 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. letter-spacing:0.7px; Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. Father of Larry Herndon; Roy V Herndon and Ora Herndon. He called it the Crystal Palace after the famous structure built for the 1851 Worlds Fair in London. Herndon continued his to expand his insurance empire. 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. 2. .social-icon i.fa:hover{ Year Erected: 2017. line-height:48px; FUN FACTS. He also invented his money in real estate. line-height:48px; Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. Alonzo's marriage to Adrienne had a far-reaching impact on his life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. 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. He was known for being a Entrepreneur. They were homeless and living in poverty. Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. .magazine-single-box .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper{ Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 Walton County, Georgia July 21, 1927) was an African-American entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. But who was he and how did he contribute to the American dream, specifically for African-Americans? -webkit-box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.2);box-shadow: 0 14px 26px -12px rgba(255,255,255,0.42), 0 4px 23px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.12), 0 8px 10px -5px rgba(255,255,255,0.12)} Norris eventually settled down and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1921, where he was one of two blacks in his class. display: block; 1858) represents an important piece of black history in Atlanta. } background:#f4c85e; Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the . He went to Jonesboro, Clayton County on foot. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. color:#f4c85e; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192-1550 img#wpstats{display:none} When W. E. B. Alonzo Herndon. [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 supplemented the family income by working as day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. 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. fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? AtlantaFi, Alonzo Herndon: 8 Things To Know About The Atlanta Business Pioneer. Web site: http://www.chubb.com n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who margin: ; background:#f4c85e; In 1905 he used his proceeds to purchase a failing insurance business in the city, naming it the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. content:'Main Menu'; Merritt, Carole, The Herndons: An Atlanta Family, University of Georgia Press, 2002. In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Telephone: (908) 903-2000 New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 14, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/, Henderson, A. His father was Frank Herndon, a white master. He gave generous support and resources to such local institutions and causes as the YMCA; Atlanta University; the Leonard Street, Carrie Steele, and Diana Pace orphanages; the Herndon Day Nursery; and the First Congregational Church. At the time of his death in 1927, he was also Atlanta 's wealthiest Black citizen, owning more property than any other African American. . 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. Many white men used African-American barbers in these years. Steve Jobs. font-size:14px; The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. } Herndon was also active in the community in other areas. American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (18581927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. 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. 3. 1. In 1910 Alonzo and Jessie Herndon built the Herndon Home which at the time was one of the largest mansions in Atlanta. 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. Total Assets: $114.35 billion (1994) His new venture became the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, and by 1907 had 23 offices across Georgia. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Alexa Benson Henderson, Atlanta Life Insurance Company: Guardian of Black Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990). His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Herndon was born on June 26, 1858 in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his slave. fbq('init', '213902435871547'); 2. 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. WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. 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. 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