[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1185-E1186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO SIMON AVARA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 18, 2004

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to a remarkable man from 
my district. Simon Avara has dedicated many years of his life to the 
betterment of the Baltimore community. He is an accomplished 
businessman and friend, as well as my own long-time barber.
  In cities and towns across America, barber shops have come to be 
recognized as familiar gathering places that help create a sense of 
community. Following in his father's footsteps as a master barber, at 
the age of 16, Mr. Avara obtained his master license and opened his own 
shop.
  While still a young man, he put his life's dream on hold to serve our 
Nation during the Korean War. When he returned to Baltimore, he began 
opening doors for others seeking to pursue a tonsorial profession. He 
has founded two schools, training a whole new generation of Baltimore 
barbers.
  Today, I am placing in the Congressional Record an April 2004 article 
from RazorsEdge Magazine tracing Mr. Avara's career. I am pleased to 
have this opportunity to pay tribute to Simon Avara, a true pillar of 
our community.

                        Simon Avara: A Cut Above

                           (By Rebecca Mein)

       ``I see a man in a $600 or $700 suit dressed real well and 
     he has a bad haircut,'' says Simon Avara. He pauses and then 
     packs a punch. ``It spoils everything!''
       After all, that ``everything'' only costs a man about a six 
     bucks if he visits one of Avara's two Baltimore barber 
     schools for a cut.
       This 70-year-old master barber has spent nearly a lifetime 
     communicating that message to clients and customers alike.
       He runs the International Academy of Hair Design on Pratt 
     Street in downtown Baltimore and Avara's Academy of Hair 
     Design in Dundalk.
       You could say Avara was born into the business. In fact, as 
     a young boy, he never even had to leave his own house to get 
     a sense of what his father did for a living.
       Back in the 1930's, he remembers seeing his father's 
     clients show up at he family's front door for a last minute 
     cut.
       ``The judges would knock on our door on Sunday mornings,'' 
     he says. They wanted a fresh haircut before heading back to 
     the courtroom on Monday.
       Avara's father had his own idea of a barber uniform--a 
     suit, a dress shirt, and a tie.
       But back then, Avara had no idea that he would one day 
     follow in his father's footsteps.
       Sadly, his father would never live to see his son pick up a 
     pair of shears. The older Avara died tragically in a car 
     accident.
       Avara was just 14 years old at the time. Little did he 
     know, that summer, people would start coming to him for a 
     haircut.
       It all started when a friend of a friend asked for a trim. 
     Within one year, he went from having no experience and no 
     interest to starting a barber school and landing his first 
     apprenticeship.
       Only, his first apprenticeship was not quite the same 
     learning experience that he offers his students today. ``In 
     those days, you ran errands,'' he explains. ``They'd let you 
     shave behind the ears. I was persistent. I hung in there.''
       That persistence paid off after a West Baltimore barber 
     gave him his first break. This is where Avara's story takes 
     an extraordinary turn.
       ``By the time I was 16, I passed the board and got my 
     master license. I was probably one of the youngest barbers in 
     the state.''
       At just 16 years old, with one year of high school under 
     his belt and some used equipment in his possession, Avara 
     opened his own shop in a former funeral parlor.
       He charged 60 cents for a man's cut and 40 cents for a 
     child. ``I was very young when this happened,'' Avara says. 
     ``In everything I've done, I've been blessed.''
       But then, came another twist of events. During the Korean 
     Conflict, Avara was drafted and had to leave his shop for the 
     service. While in Korea, Avara says he had time to think 
     about what he wanted to do when he returned to Baltimore.
       He saw his options as either opening a first class salon or 
     opening a school. ``I had trained some people before I went. 
     I felt that then, and I still feel, that if you train them 
     right, a part of you will always live.''
       When Avara returned to civilian life, he wound up making a 
     third choice. He attended cosmetology school in order to 
     improve his skills when it came to cutting women's hair.
       Then, he decided it was time to open his own school. Soon 
     after, came another achievement. He became a member of the 
     Maryland State Board of Barber Examiners at age 26.
       While in his early 30's he was elected to be president of 
     the National Barber Examiners.
       He also served as secretary treasurer of all union-
     affiliated barber schools in America. He is currently 
     president and founder of the Maryland Hair Designer's 
     Association.
       Avara sees his profession as a way to open doors for people 
     from all walks of life. He believes that with some basic 
     reading and writing skills and people skills, anyone can have 
     a solid future in his field.
       ``You gotta like people,'' he says. ``If you don't like 
     people, don't even enroll in my school.''
       Students in his school quickly gain hands-on learning 
     experience. He says by the end of the first week, every 
     student has gotten over the fear of cutting that first head 
     of hair.
       As for his students' future job security, Avara has no 
     worries, even as technology continues to take over and take 
     away jobs in other industries.
       ``We never have to worry that there's a machine that could 
     take our place. You're never going to put your head in a 
     machine and dial the cut.''
       Today, three of Avara's four adult children are trained in 
     the trade. His youngest son runs his Dundalk School.
       Avara makes it a point to tell his students that the 
     leading hair stylists out there are all former barbers. ``We 
     really teach them how to cut hair, layer hair, and to do it 
     freehand. If you want to see a good man's haircut, look at 
     Cary Grant,'' says Avara.

[[Page E1186]]

       Retirement is nowhere in this barber's immediate plans. He 
     plans to continue to pass on his profession to aspiring 
     barbers. Perhaps that is because Avara's job is not just his 
     profession; it is his life's passion.
       It's what he does for recreation and relaxation. ``I love 
     it,'' he says. ``I have no hobbies. I have a set of golf 
     clubs in the garage. I'm not saying that I'll work every day 
     like I do now, but I can't sit around and visualize working 
     the boob tube. To be healthy, you have to be active and think 
     young.''
       For Avara, that translates to continuing to hold a pair of 
     shears in hand. He estimates so far, he's cut a hundred 
     thousand heads of hair or more, and he's not planning to stop 
     anytime soon.

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