He was a member of W.E.B. "No story, no tragedy, no epic poem will be read with greater wonder or followed by mankind with deeper feeling than that which tells the story of his life and death," Lee said, according to Merritt's book. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 )- (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. Company About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. Telephone: (908) 903-2000 The family attended the First Congressional Church in Atlanta and was closely associated with Clark University and AMA schools. He had been approached by a couple of ministers in the community to acquire the company as something for the black community. He also owned a hundred or so residential rental properties in the city. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder. In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. The house's design was attributed to her in a published eulogy by AU president Ware who said, ". His business was very great and he could expand it. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. 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. .page-template-magazine-template.page .header-style-one .header #main-menu-wrapper a#pull:before { } Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 Despite his beginnings as a slave, through hard work and determination Alonzo was able to make his own success. Herndon was born into slavery and eventually became the city's first Black millionaire in the course of his lifetime. His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. Despite several crises in the industry and lean times generally, Atlanta Life under Herndons leadership survived and progressed into the next decades as a secure and prosperous business. 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. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. 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. color:#f4c85e; By 1922 the company had more than $400,000 in assets. Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990); Carole 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. Mcauley was, Facts about Charles I of England present the interesting information about the monarch of three kingdoms. 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). Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. In 1905, his property holdings were valued at nearly $325,000. Alonzo Herndon. [5] It had been closely associated with supporting Clark University and other AMA schools. a:hover{ Stock Exchanges: New York London Tokyo Paris Zrich Basel Ge, Hernando de Soto and the Spanish Exploration of the American Southeast, 1539-1542, Hernndo (y Palomar), Rafael (Jos Maria), Hernandez, Jaime 1959(? He was also involved in the Southview Cemetery Association, Atlanta Loan and Trust, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank, and was a key investor in Gate City Drug Company, the first black-owned drugstore on Auburn Avenue. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; }. Many white men used African-American barbers in these years. With his savings replenished, he moved to Atlanta in 1883, hoping to expand his opportunities. ." 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. 8. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 /*inline margin*/ Find ou another businessman in Alberto Alessi facts. He also invented his money in real estate. border-color:#f4c85e; background:#494bbc; As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. } Alonzo Herndon, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927 at the age of 69. font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background: #f4c85e; At his death in 1927, his real estate was assessed at nearly $325,000. letter-spacing:0.7px; Alonzo Herndon. 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). Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. } [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. 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. One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; 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. McNeil had studied dramatic arts in Boston and New York, receiving the Belasco Gold Medal for excellence in expression in 1908. } Total Assets: $114.35 billion (1994) border: 1px solid #f4c85e; 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 . 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. The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who She was sent adrift in the world with her two children and a corded bed and [a] few quilts. Georgias rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Alonzo Herndon in advancement of the rights of African Americans or Blacks in the New South Era. line-height:22px; By the time he was 20, Herndon had managed to save the sum of $11, and ran away from Social Circle with it. letter-spacing:0.7px; As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. Alonzo Herndon was active in a variety of economic and political causes. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. He also had a younger brother, Thomas, as well as a number of half-brothers and half-sisters born to other slave women on the Herndon farm. In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. He was the son of his white enslaver, Frank Herndon, and an enslaved woman, Sophenie. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/herndon-alonzo-franklin. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). Merrick, a contemporary of Herndons, also had begun his career as a barber. !function(c,h,i,m,p){m=c.createElement(h),p=c.getElementsByTagName(h)[0],m.async=1,m.src=i,p.parentNode.insertBefore(m,p)}(document,"script","https://chimpstatic.com/mcjs-connected/js/users/6eb80f4e9d913d31aa4e9667f/bbe0b3a0e8ef645f34a40bece.js"); 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. "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". never acknowledged paternity. An. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? .format-quote blockquote, .single .format-quote blockquote, .single blockquote{ }body,p{ Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. .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{ margin: ; Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 2. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. 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. } Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. AboutPressCopyrightContact. } .flex-slider li .caption-content p{color:#fff;} The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations. font-size:38px; His home was included in National Historic Landmark in United States in 2000. Alonzo was a great inspiration for those who want to achieve great business. 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. h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} 1. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was born on June 6, 1858, in Social Circle, Georgia, which is located in Walton County. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Du Bois. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. font-size:14px; 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. He began by buying a failing mutual aid association in 1905, when the state of Georgia increased capital requirements for such businesses. Regardless of the reason, his acquisition strategy made Atlanta Life one of the most successful black businesses in the nation by the 1920s. color:#494bbc; Herndons prominence and influence were enhanced by his family life. Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. His child Norris B. Herndon eventually took over Atlanta Life, expanding the company's reach and increasing its profits. . After Adrienne died in 1910, Herndon married Jessie Gillespie of Chicago. His barbering business thrived, and he expanded it over the years. The Herndons were very proud to be African Americans. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ His son Norris attended Atlanta University and Harvard Business School before entering his father's company full time. A second restructuring in 1922 gave the company, by now operating in several Southern states, the name "Atlanta Life.". Alonzo Herndon with his mother, Sophenie, and his brother, Thomas, ca. } Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 31. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. } Herndon died in 1927, at 69. } 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. Death: Immediate Family: Son of Stephen C Herndon and Lucinda Philpot McGowan. Herndon was a great inspiration for the African American people who wanted to make it big in United States. In 1913, he signed a partnership agreement with a Kentucky firm, Standard Life. 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. 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