A Dallas barber who inspired hundreds of Texas may be gone, but he is certainly not forgotten. Johnny Graham, the founder of Graham’s Barber Shops and Graham’s Barber College, was honored with a Texas historical marker outside Fair Park on Monday.
Graham, who died in 1990, was a well-known fixture in the Dallas community through the last half of the 20th century. He opened his first Dallas barber shop in 1951.
Graham would go on to open multiple barbershops across Dallas and help dozens upon dozens of aspiring barbers within the community.
“By his work and by his efforts, he definitely left his mark; He left his trademark. It’s more than just a haircut,” said barber Ozell Graham (no relation).
“He offered medical insurance; he had a retirement plan, credit union benefits, and stock options in the corporation. This is way back. This is a businessman,” said Patricia Hicks, the co-chair of the Dallas County Commission Marker.
In 1969, Graham was named Texas Businessman of the Year.
While the barbershops and Graham’s Barber College are now under new ownership, they are keeping Graham’s legacy and memory alive and taking it to new heights.
Carol Frasure of Graham’s Barber College explained to Fox 4 News just what that means. “This school just became accredited on July 22, 2022,” said Frasure.
Many people whose lives were touched by Graham came back for the ceremony on Monday to honor his legacy.
Natarsha Price, who started cutting hair at age 13, used the barbering skills she learned from Graham to pay her way through college at UT-Austin.
“I didn’t want to come back home because my clientele was so big [in Austin] that my friends in college thought I was rich,” she explained. “Looking back on it, you’re 18, 19 years old in college, and you’re making $600-$700 a week; you are kind of rich.”
She opened her own barbershop in Austin after college.
Barber Dennis Griffith expressed appreciation for the things that Graham taught him that helped him succeed in the business.
“I’m truly grateful. I am truly grateful for his professionalism, leadership, how he stressed always be professional, keep your jacket clean and ironed,” said Griffith.
At the ceremony unveiling the marker, it was announced that a scholarship fund in Graham’s name had been established for aspiring barbers.
As many as 100 people who worked for Graham’s Barber Shops are licensed through his college and operating shops of their own in Texas and across the country.