A. G. Gaston facts for kids
Arthur George Gaston was a very successful African-American businessman. He was born in Demopolis, Alabama, on July 4, 1892, and passed away in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 19, 1996. He built many important companies in Birmingham. Gaston also played a big part in the movement to end segregation in 1963. During his life, Gaston's companies were some of the most well-known African-American businesses in the Southern United States.
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Early Life and Education
A. G. Gaston was the grandson of an enslaved person. He was born in Demopolis, Alabama, to Tom and Rosa McDonald Gaston. His father died when he was a baby. Gaston grew up in a log cabin with his mother and grandparents. In 1905, he moved to Birmingham with the Loveman family, who hired his mother as a cook.
Gaston finished his formal schooling after the 10th grade. He earned a certificate from the Tuggle Institute. After that, he served in the army in France during World War I. Later, he worked in the mines run by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company in Fairfield, Alabama.
Building a Business Empire
While working in the mines, Gaston came up with smart business ideas. He started by selling lunches to his fellow miners. Then, he began lending them money. He also noticed that many mine widows struggled to pay for funerals. This gave him an idea. He wondered if people would pay a small amount into a "burial society" to help cover funeral costs.
- Booker T. Washington Insurance Company: In 1923, Gaston started the Booker T. Washington Burial Insurance Company. It later became the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company in 1932.
- Smith & Gaston Funeral Home: In 1938, Gaston bought and fixed up a building near Kelly Ingram Park in downtown Birmingham. He opened Smith & Gaston Funeral Home with his father-in-law, A. L. Smith. This funeral home even sponsored gospel music shows on local radio.
- Booker T. Washington Business School: Gaston realized there weren't enough Black people trained for the insurance and funeral industries. So, in 1939, he and his second wife, Minnie L. Gardner Gaston, opened the Booker T. Washington business school.
- Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association: Gaston also started Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association. This was the first Black-owned bank in Birmingham in over 40 years.
- A.G. Gaston Motel: On July 1, 1954, Gaston opened the A.G. Gaston Motel next to Kelly Ingram Park.
Supporting Civil Rights
Gaston usually stayed out of politics in the 1940s and 1950s. He didn't like to directly challenge white leaders. However, he strongly supported the Civil Rights Movement with money.
- He helped Autherine Lucy, who sued to attend the University of Alabama.
- He also helped people in Tuskegee who were losing their homes. They faced this because they boycotted white-owned businesses to protest not being allowed to vote.
When Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, a civil rights leader, started the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights in 1956, their first meeting was held at Smith & Gaston's offices. This happened after the NAACP was banned in Alabama.
Working with Civil Rights Leaders
In 1962, students from Miles College tried to end segregation in downtown Birmingham using sit-ins and boycotts. Gaston, who was on the college's board, tried to get them to stop. He wanted to negotiate with white leaders instead. These talks led to small changes but didn't end segregation or lead to more Black employees.
In 1963, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) planned large protests in Birmingham. They wanted to challenge segregation laws and Police Commissioner Bull Connor. Gaston disagreed with this plan. He wanted to solve things through talks, not public protests. However, he still helped the movement.
- Gaston paid $5,000 bail for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend Ralph Abernathy when they were arrested.
- He also gave King and Abernathy a discounted room at his motel. They also used free meeting rooms at his offices during the campaign.
Gaston publicly supported the campaign. He took part in meetings with local business leaders. He insisted that Reverend Shuttlesworth be included in these talks.
There were some disagreements among the civil rights leaders. However, they wanted to show a united front. Dr. King created a special committee of local leaders, including Gaston. This committee was supposed to approve daily plans.
However, this committee didn't have much power. This became clear on May 2, 1963, when the movement encouraged school children to march against segregation. Gaston protested this idea. He told King, "Let those kids stay in school. They don't know nothing." King replied, "Brother Gaston, let those people go into the streets where they'll learn something." The demonstrations continued.
Legacy and Impact
Gaston wrote a book about his life in 1968. This was around the same time he founded the A. G. Gaston Boys Club.
He famously said, "I never went into anything with the idea of making money…I thought of doing something, and it would come up and make money. I never thought of trying to get rich.”
A. G. Gaston passed away on January 19, 1996, at the age of 103.
He left behind several successful businesses:
- The Booker T. Washington Insurance Company
- The A.G. Gaston Construction Company
- Smith and Gaston Funeral Home
- CFS Bancshares, a financial institution
The City of Birmingham now owns the A.G. Gaston Motel. They plan to make it part of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This institute was built where the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company used to be. At the time of his death, Gaston's wealth was estimated to be over $130,000,000.
In 2017, President Barack Obama named the A.G. Gaston Motel the main part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.
