Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. !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"); 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 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. .archive-title, .page-title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3, .multipage-links span{ Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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. @media screen and (max-width: 1024px){ At that time, he was 7 years old. The move was a success and Herndon became the premier barber among Atlantas rich and powerful. The staff of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Branch Office, ca. }body,p{ Retrieved Jul 14, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. The job opened the door to his future. 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. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; The young Herndon was one of 25 slaves owned by his father, who His son, Norris B. Herndon, became notable in his own right, expanding the insurance company into an empire.[6]. never acknowledged paternity. She was a drama teacher at Atlanta University at the time. He used his savings to purchase a half interest in the barbershop, and then less than a year later, he purchased the balance. His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. .footer-wrapper p, .footer-wrapper a, His shop at 66 Peachtree Street, outfitted with crystal chandeliers and gold fixtures, was advertised as the largest and best barbershop in the region. Worked Fields as a Child American Dream:a social ideal revolving around the attainment of a high standard of living, Black Bourgeoisie:African Americans in the middle class; the bourgeoisie is generally a business class, entrepreneur:one who creates a product on his own account; whoever undertakes on his own account an industrial enterprise in which workmen are employed, Jim Crow laws:laws developed specifically to inconvenience African Americans or to promote segregation between the races, Odd Fellows Society:an organization formed in America during the 19th century whose motto states that they are to provide friendship, demonstrate charity, and pursue truth; through these endeavors they hope to promote fellowship amongst people, Republican Party:one of two major political parties in the United States; Republican interests are generally business and trade focused, hence it is often identified with the bourgeoisie, segregation:separation from others; a parting (often refers to the separating of races). . His business was very great and he could expand it. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 2. 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. His father was Frank Herndon, the white farmer to whose Social Circle, Georgia land Sophenie was restricted. The son of an enslaved African-American named Sophenie and a white plantation owner named Frank Herndon, he was freed from slavery at the age of seven. } 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. Alonzo Herndon. 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. 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. Du Bois Niagara Movement. Incorporateci: 1866 as National Travelers Insurance Why do you think this would have been one of the only ways African Americans were able to obtain wealth and upper-class status? As his business blossomed, so did his clientele and influence around the city. Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. color:; Herndons barbershop expanded to three shops, attracting Black Atlantas elite. After moving to segregated Atlanta, Herndon opened several barbershops including the upscale Crystal Palace in 1902. Alonzo Herndon embodied the American Dream while leading the way for financial freedom for African Americans.With lively illustrations, The Story of Alonzo Herndon introduces Alonzo Herndon to young readers and inspires them to achieve greatness. } }); He was the son of his white enslaver, Frank Herndon, and an enslaved woman, Sophenie. With the Southern economy wrecked, she was forced to accept payment in molasses, potatoes, or other provisions in order to feed her sons. 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. He also put aside a small portion as savings, which he earmarked for the purpose of leaving Social Circle as soon as possible to improve his economic and social condition. Associated With ." "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. In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Du Bois. border-color:#f4c85e; Total Assets: $256.89 billion (2001) In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). Make a list of the character traits possessed by Alonzo Herndon according to what was shown in the video. In 1905 he purchased a failing mutual aid association, which he incorporated as the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. Alonzo was born on June 26, 1858 in Georgia. Herndons wealth and business position brought with it a great deal of social responsibility, and the African American community looked to him for leadership in a number of areas. Company .header-wrap-top .top-menu .top li a:hover{ The shop was a success, but Herndon was pulled to Atlanta and he struck gold there. 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. 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 mourning, he threw himself into managing his new business. #move-to-top, .th_more_posts a#more_posts:hover, .widget .search-submit:hover, .search .search-submit:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit:hover, #commentform input#submit, .tagcloud a, .mc4wp-form input[type=submit], ul.paging li a:hover, ul.paging li a.current, input[type=submit]:hover{ How does Alonzo Herdon embody the American dream? color:#f4c85e; Economic Dignity (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1990); Carole Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. William Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the war, and his shop was a busy one. Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. Born into slavery, he belonged to the first generation of successful African American entrepreneurs of the early twentieth century. 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. background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18);} .upcoming-events li span { 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. Another structure on Morris Browns campus is. All Rights Reserved. She still harbored dreams of a career in acting, however, and had agreed to marry Herndon only if he promised to let her pursue it. After six months Herndon purchased half interest in the shop, entering into a partnership with one of the few free Blacks operating barbering establishments since before the Civil War. Fax: (908) 580-3402 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. Herndon died in 1927, at 69. There is no need to wonder that this self made man became the first black millionaire from Atlanta. He was a founding member of Booker T. Washington's National Negro Business League in 1900. The Herndon House is located at 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. .flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. color:#fff;} } On this episode of Georgia Stories; Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's fi. 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. } .navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, .navigation ul li a:hover{ 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. Alonzo Herndon rose to prime prominence as a Entrepreneur. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place background:#f4c85e; Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. . #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Historian Marcellus Barksdale describes the Crystal Palace as fitting its name. .page blockquote{ It also produced his only child, Norris, who succeeded him as chief executive of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. 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. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 September 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. His barbershops windows were smashed in the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. color:#606060; 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. One of the results of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906 was that Black leaders realized that W. E. B. . He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. 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. [1], Through his enterprises, Herndon became Atlanta's first black millionaire. His son took over his businesses and . Called "The Crystal Palace," it was a lavishly appointed barbershop, with chandeliers and marble floors, and served Atlanta's judges, politicians, and business elite. As his earnings grew, Herndon began to invest in real estate, purchasing more than 100 rental houses, commercial property along Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, and a plantation near Tavares, Florida. 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. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Herndon was born on July 21, 1858, to Sophenie Herndon, a slave. .simplesocialbuttons.simplesocialbuttons_inline.simplesocial-simple-round button{ } Subscribe to ournews alerts here, follow uson Twitterand like us onFacebook. In 1910, Herndons wife died unexpectedly. .content .standard-layout .post.format-standard .post-img{ Living in a small shack with his mother, younger brother, maternal grandparents, and members of several other families caught in the same dilemma, Herndon helped out by selling peanuts, molasses, and axle grease. Arriving in early 1883, he secured employment as a barber in a shop on Marietta Street owned by William Dougherty Hutchins, an African American. As for Atlanta LIfe, it exists today as Atlanta Life Financial Group, located at 191 Peachtree St #2500, Atlanta, GA 30303. One of the souths wealthiest men, he died on July 21, 1927. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; Later, in 1905, he joined WE.B. Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. That year Herndon changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. However, the date of retrieval is often important. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. As the founder and President of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndons empire began small but grew to become an inspiration for Black business. Herndon eventually bought into a partnership, but it was later dissolvedperhaps due to Hutchins's financial setbacks, which taught Herndon to always be cautious about business expansion. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Alonzo Franklin Herndon was an African American entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. } }.footer-wrapper { Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 - July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. "Herndon was eager to capitalize on it.". Encyclopedia.com. Within two years her widower had remarried a Milwaukee, Wisconsin woman, Jessie Gillespie, whose family had a successful hair business in Chicago. At one point, Herndon was the wealthiest African-American in Atlanta. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ Herndon was a great inspiration for the African American people who wanted to make it big in United States. Freed by the 13th Amendment, Herndon and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. 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. } Carole Merritt, director of Herndon Home, takes students on a tour of the house where Alonzo Herndon lived with his wife Adrienne and their son Norris. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. Insurance executive 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. Alonzo is originated from United States. The firm grew rapidly in the 1920s, expanding its operations into a half dozen new states, including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. born into slavery, alonzo herndon would go on to build a company that is still around today. 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. 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. line-height:48px; 31. .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{ . `` early Life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of Black American Life in the video Journal-Constitution!.Page-Title, li.sl-related-thumbnail h3,.multipage-links span { Copyright 2023 Interactive one, LLC x27 ; s National Negro League. 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