Paul Taylor closed his barbershop at 648 East 52nd Street on September 19th after 48 years of memories cutting hair. Prior to moving there in 1961, his shop was located at 46th Street and North College Avenue. He recently reflected on his career.

"Every customer is unique with a different personality and story. Years ago, barbershops didn't need as many customers since they got their hair cut more frequently. Prices were lower back then, too. When the Beatles came along, some men didn't get their hair cut as much as they let it grow out," Paul explained. "When a customer got sick, I went to their house, cut their hair and charged them the same price," he added.

Steck Plumbing was Paul's first landlord at his current location for 27 years, though for 26 of those years, he operated the shop without a lease. He often went to owner William Steck's home to cut his hair.

"When I bought that barbershop in 1953, its owner, James Chenoweth, was 75 years old. I was the first sponsor of an Ozark Ike Little League baseball team in 1954 and a 10 to 12 year-olds' School 70 basketball team," Paul noted. "Kids were about 35 percent of my business back then. Many of them were from St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis Public Schools 55 and 70, Broad Ripple High School and Cathedral High School. There was a five-cent Coke machine in the shop. It was a popular hangout for neighborhood kids. I also sponsored an adult bowling team at 42nd Street and North College Avenue. The bowling alley was on the building's second floor and the Uptown Grill was located on the first floor," Paul recalled. The community following that Paul's barbershop acquired would include future generations of those early customers.

"One of James Chenoweth's sons is a psychiatrist (living in Washington state), who once brought a camcorder into my shop to record footage of me cutting his hair. His other son is an attorney living in Florida. They returned for haircuts when they were in town," Paul noted.

"Since becoming a barber, I've learned a lot about people, their families and their lives. I've also become an avid reader of history and have cut the hair of eight different history teachers. I've met people from all walks of life - doctors, lawyers, politicians, professors and veterans, to name a few. They visit my barbershop from Brownsburg, Carmel, Nora, the St. Vincent Hospital area and Westfield," he said.

His conversation with a young man later introduced him to his father, Ball State University accounting professor Richard Culp. Lakeside Writers Group owner Bill Beck was introduced to Paul at age three by his father. He is one of Paul's many life-long friends. A Warsaw, Indiana-based podiatrist visiting his daughter was among Paul's last customers. She referred her dad to Paul, like many of his clients.

Paul's notable clients include CBS Late Night talk show host David Letterman, former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and the late U.S. District Judge William E. Steckler. Indiana University medical professor Dr. David Crabb, local jazz musician and Sophia Violins owner John Wells, Aristocrat restaurant owner Rick Rising-Moore, an unnamed U.S. customs agent and the late Salvatore Genco, an L.S. Ayres master tailor (in their women's alteration department) were also patrons.

The late Joe Farrah wrote in an Indianapolis Prime Times article that "Going to Paul's barbershop was like taking a deep step back into the 1950s. There were plastic orange chairs, curtains, two barber chairs and various men's magazines - Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Sports Illustrated, U.S. News and World Report that have been a consistent part of the décor." Like a fraternity, Paul's barbershop was a rite of passage for boys' first haircuts like their fathers and grandfathers.

The word retirement is not in Paul's vocabulary quite yet. "I'm considering a few different places in the area and will advertise in the Broad Ripple Gazette. I've had some incredible memories here," he recalled. "When I first meet a customer, I find out how they want their hair cut and ask if they are new to the area. I try to find a common ground with them to initiate a conversation," he added. Many of his life-long friendships with clients started this way.

Customer topics vary from politics and sports to daily life. Paul's barbershop outlasted some hair styling franchises that grew in popularity in the 1980s. His shear volume of loyal clients gave him a cutting edge in good and bad economic times.

Paul Taylor has been far more than just a barber to his customers for his 59-year career. He is a World War II veteran (having served in General Patton's Third Army), a community icon (profiled often in the Indianapolis Star) and a neighborhood friend to all citizens fortunate enough (including this author), to have known him over the years.