In 1905, he purchased a small mutual aid association that eventually became the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. B. She was sent adrift in the world with her two children and a corded bed and [a] few quilts. He was the son of his white enslaver, Frank Herndon, and an enslaved woman, Sophenie. 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. .post-share i.fa:hover, .footer-copyright .social-icon ul li a:hover, .header-bottom .social-icon ul li a:hover, .content .post-content .read-more a, a.more-link, ul li a:hover, #commentform #commentSubmit, ol.commentlist li .reply a, .th-widget-recent-post .th-recent-post h5 a:hover, .widget .twitter-user a, .standard-layout .format-link h2, .th_more_posts a#more_posts, .format-quote blockquote p:before, .widget .tagcloud a:hover, .content .post-content .description p a, .page-description p a, .multipage-links span, .content .navigation.post-navigation .nav-links a:hover, .content #main .pagination a:hover, .post-title h2:hover{color:#f4c85e;} Herndon died in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, a few weeks after his sixty-ninth birthday. li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:hover, li.mega-sub-item> ul.sub-menu >li >a:focus, [3], In 1893, Herndon married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University who helped him gain an education and refinement. Alonzo wanted to remind himself and others that even though he had become very successful he started out as a slave. Herndon died at home in Atlanta on July 21, 1927, at the age of 69. Merged with two other firms and renamed the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the firm prospered. Du Bois. }h2,.two-grid-layout .post-content h2,.standard-layout .post-title h2{ His father was his mother's White owner, so he was kept on the man's farm. Telephone: (215) 761-1000 Alonzo Herndon rose to prime prominence as a Entrepreneur. Norris eventually settled down and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1921, where he was one of two blacks in his class. Mrs. Herndon and her stepson worked together in leading Atlanta Life to even greater success. 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. At the time, she was teaching drama and elocution at Atlanta University, from which she had only recently graduated, and was the sole African American woman on its faculty. Herndon's early life and family history represent a fascinating microcosm of black American life in the pre-and post-Civil War South. 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 on the campus of Morris Brown College. . He decided to open his barbershop here. line-height:48px; .read-more.read-more-slider a:hover{ Henry McNeal Turner was for many years the leading advocate of black migration to Africa a, Public Company In 1905, Herndon purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. All Rights Reserved. } McNeil had studied dramatic arts in Boston and New York, receiving the Belasco Gold Medal for excellence in expression in 1908. In 1900 Herndon joined Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the National Negro Business League, convened by Booker T. Washington in Boston. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu a:hover,#menu .mega-menu-posts a:hover, His mother took him, his five-year-old brother, and a few quilts with her, and found work nearby as a day laborer. Herndon said he did this to support and empower Black businesses and their workers. He gave large sums to a local orphanage and kindergarten for black children, and to the city's leading African American church, First Congregational. [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. . WABE: This Day in History: Alonzo Herndon Establishes Atlanta Mutual Life Association, Black Enterprise: "Unbeatable Combination", Georgia Stories: The Alonzo Herndon Family. A second restructuring in 1922 gave the company, by now operating in several Southern states, the name "Atlanta Life.". background:#fff; 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. 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. } Opened in 1902, it was fitted with opulent furnishings, 25 luxury hair-cutting stations, and several private rooms with bathtubs and showers. William Dougherty Hutchins had been a free black before the war, and his shop was a busy one. In 1878, at the age of 20, Herndon left his family and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia where he openedhis first barbershop. He opened his own barbershop in Atlanta in 1886. Herndons first wife passed in 1910, and he married Jessie Herndon in 1910. Progressive voices like Henry Grady promoted a more diverse economy, welcoming northern investment, while populists like Tom Watson believed the focus should remain on the needs of working Georgians, particularly farmers. }); 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. The Crystal Palace became an instant landmark, drawing customers and tourists from across the south and beyond. }@media screen and (max-width: 768px){body,p{ In 1910, the house was built. How does Alonzo Herdon embody the American dream? 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. In 1933, Jessie and Norris Herndon turned the ownership of the Crystal Palace over to its employees. By 1916, the Association was reorganized as a stock company capitalized at $25,000, most of which Herndon bought. "My knees quaked with fear for I thought I was being telegraphed," he recalled, according to the Merritt book. Today's Georgia Birthdays. #menu .has-mega-sub-blog-menu .mega-sub-menu ul li a:hover{ Herndon also invested in real estate, and then entered the insurance business. Are you interested reading facts about Alonzo Herndon? All Rights Reserved. Du Bois's ideas of pushing racial equality were more productive than the ideas of Booker T. Washington. background:#f4c85e; He hired top managers with industry experience, trained a professional sales force, and acquired smaller, struggling insurance companies in both Georgia and nearby states. 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. Herndons barbering business expanded, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. 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. One of Herndons most lasting contributions includes his role in establishing the United Negro College Fund. [citation needed]. 8. .footer-wrapper li, 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. The company built respect in the financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of shaky competitors. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Completed in 1910, the Herndon Home, was the residence of Alonzo Herndon and his family. As proprietor, Herndon personally saw to the barbering services provided to some of the most important figures in the state, earning their acquaintance and good will. Birthdate: November 08, 1866. He also invented his money in real estate. background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95); He was one of 25 people enslaved by his father, who never acknowledged paternity of him. #main-menu-wrapper nav .mega .thunk-widget-menu .menu a:hover { .home .navigation .menu > li > a:hover, .home .navigation ul li a:hover, .home header #main-menu-wrapper .menu-item-has-children > a:hover:after, 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. Pub, Turner, Henry McNeal 18341915 .footer-wrapper td{ In 1865, Herndon along with his younger brother, his mother and her parents were released from slavery. He took his presumed father's surname. In 1893 he married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil, a professor at Atlanta University (later Clark Atlanta University). 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. Insurance executive American executive Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927) founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the leading insurers in the American South. U.S.A. He passed away on 21 July 1927. Though Herndons successful businesses and investments made him a wealthy man, they did not protect him from the negative effects of racism. Stock Exchanges: N, One Liberty Place He was succeeded as head of his financial empire by his second wife, Jessie Gillespie, then later by his son Norris. 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. The family entered freedom in destitution. 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). His success in barbering was spectacular, and as his earnings grew, he invested in real estate in Atlanta and in Florida. Follow us onTwitter. In the next quarter-century, his business empire grew to include three barbershops, which catered to some of the richest white clientele in Atlanta. alonzo herndon in 1905 herndon bought a failing -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)} Charles Clinton Spaulding was the United States preeminent black businessman of the early t, Public Company By 1904, Herndon owned three barber shops in Atlanta, advertising one of them as the largest and best barbershop in the region. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 1999, p. A1; August 18, 2002, p. G1. Marker Text : Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery in Walton County, Georgia, in 1858. 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. Such financial success provided Herndon with entree into Atlantas black elite where he met his wife. His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. 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. Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. The Herndon family home was eventually turned into a museum, and was placed on the National Historic Landmark Register in 2000. border-bottom: 1px solid #f4c85e; h3.view{background:#0e0e0e;} Famous for founding and heading the successful Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company, he is also remembered as the city of Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Herndon employed an acquisition strategy where he bought out failing insurance businesses and merged them with his company. Herndons barbershops, his real estate holdings, and his insurance company flourished throughout the 1920s and survived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. .loader { He was born, Facts about Catherine Mcauley talk about the famous person who established the Sisters of Mercy in 1831. Do you know that he was born into slavery? letter-spacing:0.7px; "My aim," he explained in a speech that year delivered at the Tuskegee Institute and quoted in the Merritt book, "has been for several years to try to get as many of our people together to cooperate in business and along all other lines. The great trouble in establishing insurance companies among our people is that it is difficult for our people to understand the advantage of pulling together for the common and for their own good." In 1882, he moved to Atlanta, and found a post with a highly regarded local barber. Eventually he established Atlanta Life, an insurance company. They had one son together, Norris B. Herndon. 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 New Georgia Encyclopedia. Facts about Elias Howe make us talk about the American inventor. She hired herself out by the day and as there was money in the country, she received as pay potatoes, molasses, and peas enough to keep us from starving.". 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. Facts about Alonzo Herndon 1: life span Herndon was born on 26 June 1858 in Walton County, Georgia. 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. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company was one of the most successful and powerful Black-owned insurance businesses in America. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. "Alonzo Herndon." His full name is Alonzo Franklin Herndon. header,.page header{ margin: ; Alonzo Herndon. 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. His home was included in National Historic Landmark in United States in 2000. Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 - July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur and businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. } His mother, Sophenie Herndon, was a slave and his father, Frank Herndon, was her master on a farm in Social Circle,. Retrieved Jul 14, 2020, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/. Emancipated at seven years old in 1865, his family worked as sharecroppers in rural Georgia near Social Circle, some 45 miles east of Atlanta. 1858-1927 Alonzo Herndon parlayed success as a barber and as the owner of upscale barbershops into a business empire. } 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. Upcoming Entrepreneur birthdays. He opened a barbershop in Jonesboro, Georgia, in 1878 and moved to Atlanta four years later with a business plan for success. 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. color:#999; At that time, he was 7 years old. {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? display: block; Atlanta has a lot of inspirational people and AtlantaFi.com is going to introduce you to many of them as well as cool places to go, great restaurants and other ATL happenings. Atlanta Life's business thrived, and they expanded their business into Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. 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. .footer-wrapper .footer-copyright .copyright { background: #f4c85e; Henderson, Alexa. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. The legacy of Alonzo Herndon (b. . "Herndon, Alonzo Franklin About his early life Alonzo writes, "My mother was emancipated when I was seven years old and my brother Tom five years old. He spent his meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease to earn money to support the family. In his leisure time, he relaxed at an orange-grove estate he had acquired in Lake County, Florida, which he improved and sold some years later at an impressive profit. color:#606060; Having recently come out of slavery, many African Americans lacked formal education and access to higher education. 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. Web site: http://www.chubb.com Herndon ventured into the realm of racial politics at the turn of the century by joining Booker T. Washington in establishing the National Negro Business League. In 1922, the name was changed to the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and expanded to several states in the south such as Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and other states. color:#494bbc; Du Bois at the founding of the Niagara Movement, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. You can visit it in Vine City at 587 University Place NW. Today the home is registered as a National Historic Place. border: 1px solid #f4c85e; 20072023 Blackpast.org. 1925. font-size:38px; As one of the South's leading black business leaders, Herndon was friendly with both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. } His holdings eventually encompassed extensive real estate, and one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and most successful insurance companies, Atlanta Life. fbq('track', 'PageView'); How does Alonzo Herndon embody the American dream? He soon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, where he served as president. See whats poppin in the ATL! fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { Alonzo Herndon, a former slave born in 1858 in Social Circle, sought to better himself and ultimately became Atlanta's first African-American millionaire. Alonzo Herndon and Booker T. Washington. Herndon was most involved on the local level. . border-color:#f4c85e; Civil Rights Movement Mid- to Late 20th Century Topics . }. Alonzo Herndon represented what some White men were angry about; the wealth and success of some African Americans. }.footer-wrapper { He was known for being a Entrepreneur. } Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. It was located 40 miles to the east of Atlanta. HERNDON HOME. In 1878, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately one year of formal schooling. 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(? letter-spacing:0.7px; 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. Spaulding, Charles Clinton 18741952 He eventually settled in Senoia, Georgia to work as a farmhand; here he started to learn the barbering trade, considered a good one at the time. 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. Herdon was a former slave raised in a sharecropping family after the Civil War. The family worked chiefly as sharecroppers on plantations in Social Circle, Georgia, 40 miles east of Atlanta. 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. He was considered. .navigation ul .current-menu-item > a, .navigation ul li a:hover{ Alonzo is originated from United States. Include how this persons life has affected your life. His insurance company was very successful since it was operated in some states in US such as Texas, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. background:#f4c85e; 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. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/her.htm, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. .page-template-magazine-template header.header-style-one #main-menu-wrapper, Company On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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. 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"I knew my mother would never consent to my leaving the farm, so I took my little hand trunk on my shoulder and stole silently away in the darkness of night," he wrote in a memoir, according to Carole Merritt's The Herndons: An Atlanta Family. [1] Today, part of Herndons legacy can be found in the Herndon Foundation, which abides by its mission to advance the Herndon legacy through education, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs. A 1916 reorganization made Herndon's company a shareholder-owned one, but he held the majority of stock. Herndon was born into slavery and eventually became the city's first Black millionaire in the course of his lifetime. In 1905, Herndon bought the business, then named the Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, and renamed it the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. @media screen and (max-width: 550px){body,p{ However, the date of retrieval is often important. font-size:14px; 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. } Herndon and his wife built an opulent Beaux-Arts Classical mansion near Atlanta University that was finished in 1910. 3. After a few months Herndon migrated to the town of Jonesboro, in Clayton County. Why do you think the Herndon home displayed windows of Alonzo's heritage? 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. Herndon was born into slavery as Alonzo Franklin Herndon on June 26, 1858. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) Alonzo Herndon began construction on the house in 1905 and it was substantially complete when Adrienne Herndon died after a brief illness in 1910. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 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. DuBois-led Niagara Movement. He decided to leave his Social Circle in 1878. Those barbershops had elite customers such as presidents, judges, business men, and lawyers. The magnificent Beaux Arts mansion Herndon built for his first wife between 1905 and 1910 became an Atlanta landmark and tourist attraction. Entrepreneur Alonzo Herndon were born on Saturday, birthstone is Pearl, the seaon was Summer in the Chinese year of , it is 174 days until Alonzo Herndon next birthday. He also supported commercial activities, including the Southview Cemetery Association and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. 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. Alonzo Herndon was born in Georgia. Herndon was a great inspiration for the African American people who wanted to make it big in United States. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. His mother was Sophenie, an enslaved woman. On his way to becoming Atlanta's first black millionaire, Herndon amassed a fortune in real estate. 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. New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 14, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/alonzo-herndon-1858-1927/, Henderson, A. Finally in 1890 he opened his own place in the Markham Hotel, with five chairs. Herndon trained as a barber, and had his first small shop in Jonesboro. color:#f4c85e; .flex-slider .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-two .read-more.read-more-slider a,.flex-slider.button-three .read-more.read-more-slider a{color:#fff;border-color:#fff;background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);} Du Bois Niagara Movement. All Stadiums England Premier League Championship League 1 League 2 National League National League North National League South All stadiums in England Premiership League 1 League 2 All grounds in Scotland Wales img#wpstats{display:none} } Employees: 32,000 Norris B. Herndon, his son also contributed a lot to the company since he made it into a multimillion dollar company. Alonzo Herndon moved to Atlanta in 1883, bought a stake in a barbershop on Marietta Street, and by 1904 he owned three shops in Atlanta. Its barbers were African American, but the establishment served a white clientele only, and quickly became one of the city's leading barbershops. Your support helps us commission new entries and update existing content. Their marriage had a far-reaching impact on Herndons life, greatly influencing his cultural and educational growth. abides by its mission to advance the Herndon legacy through education, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs. Before long, he took up barbering and mens grooming, which afforded freed blacks a level of eliteness in a white world. fbq('init', '213902435871547'); Herndon also sought to save other failing Black enterprises. Featured Content. Alexa Benson Henderson, Alonzo Herndon and Black Insurance in Atlanta, 1904-1915, Atlanta Historical Bulletin 21 (spring 1977). }} Alonzo Herndon has been a part of the Entrepreneur list. .footer-wrapper h4{ His insurance business reported more than $400,000 in assets in 1922. color:#f4c85e; Clergyman, activist, author [4] Herndon and his family attended the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; Only a year later, he was invited to move his premises to one of the citys fanciest hotels, Markham House. Feb. 24 1955. The family attended the First Congressional Church in Atlanta and was closely associated with Clark University and AMA schools. .last-btn #menu >li:last-child > a { Way to becoming Atlanta & # x27 ; s first black millionaire in the communityand... Miles east of Atlanta War, and he married Jessie Herndon in.! Series of shaky competitors protect him from the negative effects of racism,,. 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War South the house was built know that he was the son of his lifetime University NW. Freed blacks a level of eliteness in a white world 1916 reorganization made Herndon 's company a shareholder-owned one but. Barber, and his shop was a former slave raised in a world... The financial communityand acquired more customersby buying out a series of shaky competitors Mercy in 1831 the dream... Atlanta delegates attending the founding meeting of the most successful and powerful Insurance. That style black millionaire, Herndon left Social Circle on foot with eleven dollars in savings and approximately year... With her two children and a corded bed and [ a ] few.. His meager spare time peddling peanuts, homemade molasses, and found a post with a empire! Estate, and found a post with a business plan for success the name `` Atlanta Life ``. At the top of the most successful and powerful Black-owned Insurance businesses in America Alonzo 's?! 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