TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview of Collection
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Arrangement of Collection
Topics Covered
Administrative Information
Related Material
Description of Series Series 1: Atlanta Life
Board of Directors and staff
Series 2: Atlanta Life
conferences and meetings
Series 3: Atlanta Life
reinsured companies
Series 4: Atlanta Life
events/activities
Series 5: Atlanta Life
buildings
Series 6: Other
businesses, organizations and institutions
Series 7: Other
events/activities
Series 8: Places/locations
Series 9: Other
individuals/groups
Series 10: Miscellaneous
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Register of
the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Negative Collection
Presented online by the Digital Library of Georgia
Repository: Herndon Home
Creator: Atlanta Life Insurance Company
Title: Atlanta Life Insurance Company negative
collection
Dates: 1918-1993, bulk dates (bulk 1950-1970)
Quantity: 21 boxes
Location: Herndon Home
Abstract: Photographic negatives of the Atlanta
Life Insurance Company, 1918-1993 (bulk 1950-1970), document the directors,
officers, staff, special events and community activities of the
company.
Biographical Note
In 1905, Alonzo Franklin Herndon, a
slave-born barber, founded what would become the Atlanta Life Insurance
Company. For $140 he purchased a small self-help association known as the
Atlanta Benevolent and Protective Association, which had been organized the
year before by the Reverend Peter Bryant of Wheat Street Baptist Church. In
acquiring two other companies, the Royal Mutual Insurance Company and the
National Laborers' Protective Union, Herndon reorganized the three companies as
the Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association, which began operations that year on
September 21.
Within three months of
operation, Atlanta Mutual covered Georgia from Bainbridge to Rome serving more
than six thousand policyholders. By 1915, Atlanta Mutual had become the largest
Black industrial insurance company in the lower South. In September 1922,
Atlanta Mutual amended its charter, increasing its capital stock to $100,000,
becoming Georgia's second Black legal reserve company, and renaming itself
Atlanta Life Insurance Company. As a legal reserve company with the capability
of selling all classes of insurance, Herndon's enterprise had reached its
greatest milestone. By the end of 1924, the company had expanded operations to
six additional states: Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and
Texas.
By the time Norris Herndon, son
of the founder assumed presidency of the company at his father's death on July
21, 1927, the company's assets had increased nearly one million dollars. The
period of retrenchment forced upon the company by the Depression was followed,
however, by the phenomenal growth of the economic activity of World War II. By
the end of the 1940s, Atlanta Life's capitalization had doubled and the company
had expanded into Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. As one of the largest Black
financial institutions in the nation, Atlanta Life offered the African American
community not only low cost insurance, but also a significant career
alternative to teaching and the ministry.
As one of the largest Black businesses in
the South during the Jim Crow era, Atlanta Life assumed a leadership role in
home mortgages, civil rights, and other areas of community development. The
social and political changed triggered by the civil rights movement of the
1950s and 1960s and the economic advances of many Blacks in the 1960s and 1970s
undermined what had been a captive market for Black insurance companies, many
of whom went out of business or struggled to survive.
Norris Herndon relinquished leadership of
the company in 1973 to Jesse Hill, Jr., under whose direction Atlanta Life
continued to acquire smaller companies and to increase its assets, insurance in
force, and total income. Confronting the challenges of a more competitive
market, the company divested itself of its home insurance business in 2002. It
was reorganized as a full-service financial company and was renamed Atlanta
Life Financial Group.
Return to the Table of Contents
The photographic negatives of the Atlanta
Life Insurance Company Photographic Collection, 1918 -1993 (bulk 1950-1970),
document the directors, officers, staff, special events and community
activities of the company. Notable among the collection are the photographs of
company photographer Maurice Pennington who recorded civil rights activities in
Atlanta involving Martin King and Donald Hollowell, and the visits of prominent
persons such as William Tubman, President of Liberia, and Salifou Touree of
Guinea.
Return to the Table of Contents
Arrangement of the Collection
Organized into ten series:
1. Atlanta Life Board of Directors and staff
2. Atlanta Life
conferences and meetings
3. Atlanta Life reinsured companies
4. Atlanta Life events/activities
5. Atlanta Life
buildings
6. Other businesses, organizations and
institutions
7. Other events/activities
8.
Places/locations
9. Other individuals/groups
10.
Miscellaneous.
Return to the Table of Contents
| National Negro Insurance
Association.
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| African American business
enterprises--Georgia.
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| Insurance companies--Georgia. |
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| term |
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| Atlanta
(Ga.)--Photographs.
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| Photographs. |
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Return to the Table of Contents
Provenance: Gift, Atlanta Life Insurance Company.
Restrictions on Access: Unrestricted access.
Restrictions on Use: All requests subject to
reproduction policy of The Herndon Home.
Preferred Citation Method: [after identification of item(s)], Atlanta
Life Insurance Company negative collection, The Herndon Home.
Processing Information: Processed by Lamonica Sanford, Wesley
Chenault, and Alisha Winn, 2002-2004
Return to the Table of Contents
Related MaterialAtlanta Life Insurance
Company records, Auburn Avenue Research Library, Atlanta, Georgia.
Return to the Table of Contents
Description of Series
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Series 1: Atlanta Life
Board of Directors and staff
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Board of Directors, Individuals
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| 1 |
1 |
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Brown, Henry N. |
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2 |
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Brown, Henry N. |
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3 |
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Chamblee, Robert W.,
1958
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4 |
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Greene, Charles W. |
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5 |
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Greene, Charles W. |
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6 |
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Haywood, Lemuel H. |
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7 |
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Herndon, Norris B. |
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8 |
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Herndon, Norris B. |
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9 |
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Hill, Jesse |
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10 |
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Lang, Henry Dr. |
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11 |
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Lee, George W. |
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12 |
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Martin, Eugene M. |
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13 |
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Simon, Edward L. |
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14 |
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Simon, Edward L., 1957 |
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15 |
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Simon Edward L., 1958 |
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16 |
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Toomer, Fred A. |
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Board of Directors,
Groups
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| 2 |
1 |
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Board of Directors |
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2 |
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Board of Directors |
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3 |
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Board of Directors |
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4 |
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Board of Directors, 1952 |
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5 |
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Board of Directors, 1955 |
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6 |
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Board of Directors, 1956 |
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7 |
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Board of Directors, 1957 |
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8 |
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Board of Directors, 1958 |
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9 |
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Board of Directors, 1962 |
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10 |
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Board of Directors, Brown, Henry and
Helen Collins
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11 |
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Board of Directors, Herndon, Norris
and Johnny Mae Lowe
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Board of Directors and
Associates
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| 3 |
1 |
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Board and Associates |
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2 |
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Board and Associates |
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3 |
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Board and Associates |
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4 |
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Board and Associates |
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5 |
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Board and Associates |
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6 |
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Board and Associates |
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7 |
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Board and Associates |
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8 |
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Board and Associates |
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9 |
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Board and Associates |
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10 |
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Board and Associates |
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11 |
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Board and Associates |
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12 |
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Board and Associates |
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13 |
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Board and Associates |
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14 |
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Board and Associates,
1961
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15 |
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Board and Associates,
1962
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16 |
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Board and Associates, Collins,
Helen
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17 |
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Board and Associates, Greene,
Charles W. and N.K. McMillan
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18 |
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Board and Associates, Martin, Eugene
M.
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Staff, Individuals,
Identified
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| 4 |
1 |
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Boswell, Elizabeth |
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2 |
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Brooks, Fred, 1957 |
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3 |
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Bradley, Jacquelyn |
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4 |
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Campfield, Cyrus |
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5 |
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Christopher, Arthur E., 1956
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6 |
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Conley, "Pop," 1960 |
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7 |
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Connally, Norris |
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8 |
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Davis, Mrs. |
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9 |
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Ford, Henry, 1962 |
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10 |
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Gregg, Jno H. |
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11 |
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Gibbs, Mr. |
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12 |
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Hill, Frank |
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13 |
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Hill, Frank, 1964 |
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14 |
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Hill, Frank, 1964 |
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15 |
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Holmes, Ethel |
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16 |
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Lewis, Sarah |
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17 |
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Love, Harold |
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18 |
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McPherson, Beatrice |
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19 |
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Myers, Archie, 1958 |
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20 |
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McMillan, Nelson K., 1956;
1964
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21 |
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McMillan, Nelson K.,
1957
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| 5 |
1 |
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Nolan, Leslie |
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2 |
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Parker, Madona |
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3 |
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Pennington, Maurice |
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4 |
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Prothrow, Percy W. |
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5 |
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Prothrow, Percy W. |
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6 |
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Rice, John, Dallas, TX |
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7 |
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Robert, Actuary
Department
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8 |
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Smith, Ida |
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9 |
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Smith, Melvin |
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10 |
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Tibbs, Dot |
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11 |
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Watson, H.E. |
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12 |
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Wilburn, Joe Louis |
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13 |
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Retired Staff |
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14 |
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Retired Staff |
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15 |
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Retired Staff, 1961 |
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16 |
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Retired Staff, 1961 |
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17 |
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Staff, Individuals,
Identified
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Staff, Individuals, Unidentified
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| 6 |
1 |
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Staff, 1953 |
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2 |
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Staff, 1953 |
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3 |
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Staff, 1953 |
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4 |
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Staff, 1953 |
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5 |
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Staff, 1954 |
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6 |
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Staff, 1957 |
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7 |
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Staff, 1958 |
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8 |
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Staff, Men |
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9 |
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Staff, Women |
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10 |
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Staff, n.d. |
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Staff, Groups,
Identified
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| 7 |
1 |
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Special Achievement Group, Boswell,
Elizabeth and New Employees, 1953
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2 |
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Special Team, 1957 |
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3 |
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Home Office, Staff in Groups,
1957
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4 |
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Home Office, Staff in Groups,
1957
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5 |
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Assistant Supervisors,
1957
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6 |
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Secretaries and Greene, Charles W.,
1958
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7 |
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Atlanta Life Basketball Team,
1959
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8 |
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Atlanta Branch Office, 1960, Davis
and Ellison
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9 |
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Dance Committee, 1961 |
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10 |
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Auditors, 1961 |
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11 |
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Atlanta Life Bowling Team,
1962
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12 |
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Agency Officers, 1963 |
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13 |
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Softball Team, 1963 |
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14 |
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Bryson, Mrs. And Nephew,
Chattanooga, 1964
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15 |
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Choral Ensemble, Nolan, Leslie,
1966
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16 |
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Deputy Registrars
(Vote)
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17 |
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Auditing |
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18 |
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Atlanta Life Chorus |
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19 |
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Mimeograph Department |
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20 |
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Printing Department,
Craftsmen
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21 |
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Weekly Report, Personnel
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22 |
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Family Policy Group |
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23 |
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Staff Groups,
Identified
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Staff, Groups, Unidentified
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24 |
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Staff Groups,
Unidentified
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25 |
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Staff Groups,
Unidentified
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26 |
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Staff Groups,
Unidentified
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27 |
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Staff Groups,
Unidentified
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Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 2: Atlanta Life
conferences and meetings
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Conferences and meetings by state
and city/state - A-Z
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| 1 |
1 |
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Florida-Alabama Conference,
Daytona, Beach, Florida, 1954 (Bethune- Cookman College)
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2 |
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Alabama-Florida Conference,
Jacksonville, Florida, 1955
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3 |
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Florida Conference,
1955
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4 |
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Florida Conference,
1955
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5 |
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Alabama-Florida Conference, Daytona
Beach, Florida, 1959
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6 |
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Macon, Georgia, 1939 |
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7 |
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Georgia Conference,
1953
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8 |
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Georgia Conference,
1955
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9 |
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Atlanta, Georgia, 1958 |
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1 |
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Brunswick, Georgia,
1959
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2 |
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Tennessee-Georgia Conference,
Columbus, Georgia, 1962
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3 |
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Texas Conference, 1954 |
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4 |
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Houston, Texas, 1955 |
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5 |
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Houston, Texas, 1955 |
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6 |
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Houston, Texas, 1955 |
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7 |
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Texas Conference, 1955 |
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8 |
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Texas Conference, 1956 |
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9 |
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Texas Conference, n.d. |
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Officers, Managers, Auditors, and
Cashiers
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| 3 |
1 |
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Managers and Cashiers Conference,
1956
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2 |
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Auditors Conference,
1958
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Staff Meetings/Assemblies and
Training Sessions
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3 |
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Atlanta Life Office
Meeting
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4 |
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Special Meeting with Marvin Murray,
1953
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5 |
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Assembly, 1956 |
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6 |
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Home Office Career School,
1956
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7 |
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Career School, 1958 |
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8 |
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MRA, 1958 |
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9 |
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Career School, 1959 |
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10 |
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Auditors School, 1960 |
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11 |
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Career School Group |
Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 3: Atlanta Life
reinsured companies
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| 1 |
1 |
Bowles Ford, Guaranty Life and
Atlanta Manager
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2 |
Guaranty Life and Atlanta Life
Groups
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3 |
Savannah Trip, Nichols's Retirement
at Guaranty, 1962
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4 |
Union Central |
Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 4: Atlanta Life
events/activities
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| 1 |
1 |
Natal Day, 1953 |
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2 |
Natal Day, 1954 |
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3 |
Natal Day, 1955 |
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4 |
Natal Day, 1956 |
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5 |
Natal Day, 1957 |
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6 |
Natal Day, 1958 |
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7 |
Natal Day, 1959 |
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8 |
Natal Day, 1961 |
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9 |
Natal Day, 1962 |
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10 |
Natal Day, 1964 |
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11 |
Natal Day, n.d. |
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12 |
Natal Day, n.d. |
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| 2 |
1 |
Christmas Party, 1954 |
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2 |
Christmas Party, Branch Office
Policyholders, 1954
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3 |
Christmas Party, Policyholder's,
1955
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4 |
Christmas Party, Home Office
Employees, 1955
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5 |
Christmas Party, 1956 |
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6 |
Christmas Party, Policyholder,
Branch Office, 1956
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7 |
Christmas Party, 1958 |
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8 |
Christmas Party, Home Office,
1959
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9 |
Christmas Party, Policyholders,
1959
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10 |
Christmas Party, 1961 |
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11 |
Christmas Party, Eugene Martin,
1961
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12 |
Halloween Party, 1955 |
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13 |
Halloween Party, 1957 |
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14 |
Halloween Party, 1960 |
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15 |
Halloween Party, 1961 |
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16 |
Wedding of Majorie King's Niece,
1965
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17 |
Branch Office Tour |
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18 |
Unidentified Events |
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Awards Recognition |
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| 3 |
1 |
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Cyrus Campfield's 72nd Anniversary,
1953
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2 |
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Attendance Awards, 1953 |
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3 |
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Series Winners, 1954 |
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4 |
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New Farmers Entertain at Atlanta
Life, 1955
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5 |
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50th Anniversary Suggestion Winners
and Judges, 1955
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6 |
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Secretary of the Year, Nellye
Davis, 1957
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7 |
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Charles W. Greene Awarding Baseball
Trophy to Unidentified Man, 1958
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8 |
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Man of the Year, Percy W. Prothrow,
Jr., 1959
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9 |
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Walter H. Smith Banquet,
1959
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10 |
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Norris B. Herndon Plaque, LLD
degree, 1959
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11 |
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Nashville District Winners,
1960
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12 |
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Man of the Year, Percy W. Prothrow,
and H. L. Fagan, 1964
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13 |
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Achievements, Henrietta Grier,
Bessie McMillan, Mamie Thomas, and Irene Williams
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14 |
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Fred Toomer and Award |
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15 |
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Robert Foster (Bob) and
Certificate
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Public Relations |
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| 4 |
1 |
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Sales Manual Scenes |
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2 |
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Sales Manual Scenes |
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3 |
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Sales Manual Scenes |
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4 |
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Public Relations,
Advertising
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5 |
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Advertising, Bedroom, Grocery,
Calendar, Check and Retirement Scene
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6 |
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Advertising, Hospitalization
Photos
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7 |
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Advertising, Family Life
Project
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8 |
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Advertising, Family Life
Project
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9 |
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Miami Project Pictures,
1953
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10 |
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Advertising, Family
Group
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11 |
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Advertising, Scenes from Private
Portfolio
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Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 5: Atlanta Life
buildings
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Branch Offices |
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| 1 |
1 |
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Atlanta Life Home Office Building,
1930
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2 |
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Huntsville District at Home Office,
1959
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3 |
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Home Office, 1959 |
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4 |
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Moving into the New Annex Building,
Home Office, Atlanta, Georgia
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5 |
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Atlanta Life Branch Office,
Atlanta, Georgia
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6 |
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Atlanta Life Home
Office
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7 |
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Home Office Buildings |
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8 |
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Atlanta Life Building,
Texas
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9 |
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Atlanta Life Home Office, Line
Negative
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Atlanta Life Real
Estate
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10 |
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Homes, Loans Granted by Atlanta
Life, 1953
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11 |
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Anti-Apartment Program, Sunset
Avenue Section, 1962
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12 |
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Atlanta Life Real Estate, Homes
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13 |
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Home Loans |
Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 6: Other
businesses, organizations and institutions
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| 1 |
1 |
Bernard Altman's |
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2 |
Citizens Trust Company |
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3 |
Citizens Trust Company |
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4 |
Atlanta University
Graduation
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5 |
First Congregational
Church
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6 |
Morris Brown College Faculty,
1958
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7 |
Morris Brown Group Policy,
1959
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8 |
Mt. Zion Second Baptist
Church
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9 |
NAACP Convention, 1962 |
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10 |
NAACP, Walter White |
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11 |
NAACP |
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12 |
NIA, Agency Section,
1958
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| 2 |
1 |
NIA Week, PANGA, 1958 |
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2 |
Spelman College with Governor
Nelson Rockefeller, 1962
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3 |
Voters' League |
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4 |
Voters' League, 1960 |
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5 |
Wheat Street Baptist Church
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6 |
Wheat Street Baptist Church,
Apartment Ground Breaking, 1963
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7 |
Wheat Street Baptist Church,
Industrial Building
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8 |
Wheat Street Baptist Church,
Industrial Building
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9 |
27 Club |
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10 |
100% Wrong Club |
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11 |
Other Businesses |
Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 7: Other
events/activities
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| 1 |
1 |
Civil Rights |
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2 |
Downtown Atlanta
Picketing
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3 |
Rich's Picketing |
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4 |
Dentist Pickets |
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5 |
Downtown Pickets, 1960 |
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6 |
Student Sit-in Demonstration,
1960
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7 |
Student Sit-ins, 1960 |
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8 |
Atlanta Life Loan, Georgia Teachers
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9 |
Elks Parade |
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10 |
Equal Opportunity Day,
1960
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11 |
Orange Blossom Classic,
1956
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12 |
Oglethorpe Graduation, 1958
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13 |
Public Safety Patrol Delegation,
1958
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14 |
Unidentified Events |
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15 |
Unidentified Events |
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16 |
Unidentified Wedding,
1966
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17 |
Unidentified Wedding,
1966
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18 |
Unidentified Wedding, n.d.
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Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 8: Places/locations
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| 1 |
1 |
Exterior and Interior of Herndon
Home
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2 |
Herndon Home Exterior |
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3 |
Wreck Scene |
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4 |
Other Buildings and
Spaces
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5 |
Other Buildings and Spaces
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Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 9: Other
individuals/groups
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Individuals, Identified
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| 1 |
1 |
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African Visitor, 1962 |
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2 |
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Women |
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Prominent Persons |
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3 |
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Ali, Mohammed |
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4 |
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King, Martin Luther, Jr.
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5 |
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Touree of Guinea, 1960 |
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6 |
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Tubman, William, President of
Liberia
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7 |
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Tubman, William, President of
Liberia, 1954
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8 |
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Wachuka, Jaja, 1960 |
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Groups, Identified |
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9 |
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Caroline, J.C. and Dusty
Rhodes
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10 |
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Hunter, Charlayne and Hamilton
Holmes, 1961
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11 |
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Russian Visitors, 1961 |
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12 |
|
Simon Family |
|
13 |
|
Walker, Louise Family (The
Parks)
|
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|
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Individuals, Unidentified
|
|
14 |
|
Men |
|
15 |
|
Women |
|
16 |
|
Children |
|
|
|
Groups, Unidentified |
|
17 |
|
Groups, Unidentified, Women
|
Return to the Table of Contents
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Series 10: Miscellaneous
|
|
|
| 1 |
1 |
Edward L. "Dynamite" Simon Week
Winners Plaque, 1956
|
|
2 |
Slides, Unidentified |
Return to the Table of Contents
587 University Place, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
404-581-9813
|
