Huntington Barber College

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The Huntington Barber College opened in 1957 with 24 chairs for customers
 attracted by the school’s bargain prices for barbering services.

 Vintage postcard courtesy James E. Casto

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HUNTINGTON — In 1956, T.G. Rumler, who operated the Wheeling Barber College,
decided to expand by opening a similar school in Huntington.

The Huntington Barber College opened Jan. 1, 1957, with Rumler as president
and his wife, Doris Rumler, as secretary-treasurer. Located at 750 3rd Ave.,
 the spacious school had two dozen chairs. Rumler proudly described it as
“West Virginia’s largest (and) most modern school of barbering.”

In a 1958 interview with The Herald-Dispatch Rumler said he had
 considered a number of other cities before choosing to open the
new school in Huntington. What prompted him to select
 Huntington, he said, was its Tri-State location,
 meaning the school could attract students
from West Virginia, Ohio
and Kentucky.

In 1959, the National Association of Barber Colleges awarded
 the Huntington school a Triple A certificate, its highest rating.

In addition to students who enrolled on their own, the school
 was able to train military veterans under the GI Bill and
 the rehabilitation programs of the Veterans
Administration and the state
 of West Virginia.

The daily routine for the school’s students included three hours of
classroom instruction and five hours of practical training,
performing haircuts on patrons attracted by the
school’s bargain prices for barbering services.
 Each student’s work was under the
supervision of a licensed
 instructor.

Forced to relocate in 1971 to make way for Huntington’s
downtown urban renewal program, the school moved
 to 338 Washington Ave. The Huntington City
 Directory last listed the Huntington
Barber College in 1989.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Aug. 23, 2022..

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