My grandfather, Norris Womack, started cutting hair in his father's barber shop at 814 South 75th Street (now demolished), at Lawndale Avenue, in Houston's East End neighborhood back in 1952 at the age of 16. His father, Leamon, had learned the craft from his own father (my great-great grandfather) who cut the hair of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army in the American Civil War.
Leamon, standing behind the first chair in Womack's Barber Shop in East Texas.
Norris, standing behind the third chair in Womack's Barber Shop on 75th Street and Lawndale.
Norris quickly learned the business and before long was already being called the "King of Flat Tops" in Houston. Even though most customers preferred the shorter, conservative haircuts of the time, Norris was not one to follow these cultural norms. Instead, his curiosity lead him to Austin's university area to pick up on the newer hair fashions coming into vogue. Norris was ready to challenge the patterns of respectability and shock the rest of the culture as Elvis Presley, Jack Kerouac, and Jackson Pollack were doing with their own work. They, among others, had provided the model for the wider and more deeply felt social revolution of the 1960s.
Norris "The King of Flat Tops" at his father's shop in 1953.
Back in Houston, Norris opened his first barber shop, with his wife Sue, in the newly built and highly successful Westbury Square shopping center near the intersection of Chimney Rock Road and West Bellfort Avenue in 1962. 50 years ahead of its time, Westbury Square pioneered the neo-town square lifestyle center retail model. The Houston Chronicle's Lisa Gray quoted Barry Moore, an architect who writes for Cite magazine, describing Westbury Square as a "retail Brigadoon" and said that it was as if Disneyland's Main Street USA had been translated into an actual place where people could buy real stuff, and then walk home to an apartment on the second floor above the shops.
Entrance to Westbury Square, 2011.
His one-chair barber shop, nestled among an ice cream parlor, candle shop, and needlecraft store in old world charm would seem more nostalgic than a means to social revolution. But this was social change for Houston. Westbury Square became a destination where the places outside and around the shops were just as important as the shops themselves--a huge departure from the generic retail strip centers quickly filling up the streets as Houston grew after World War II.
It was a make-believe environment and while his customers were evolving and showing a growing preference for the longer hair of the counter-culture movement, he introduced manicures for men done by his wife who was trained as a beautician. Norris had learned to style long hair back in Austin, but he never considered himself a hairstylist, only and always just a barber.
Womack Barber Shop, at 653 Westbury Square (now demolished), was located down an alley behind this building.
In 1964, Norris moved to a 3-chair location at 3406 Louisiana (now demolished) in Houston's "emerging" French Quarter of what is now known as Midtown, near the present-day Brennan's of New Orleans restaurant. The old house had a men's clothing store on the first floor, called Norris of Houston, with the Womack Barber Shop above. Within a few years, he expanded the barber shop to the whole house and now had 9 chairs. At this point, he opened his first barber college on the Eastex Freeway, near Jensen Drive, and later another barber college on the Gulf Freeway, near Edgebrook Drive, whose main functions were to train barbers for his own operations and fill the chairs.
By 1965, he was ready to take the big leap and set up shop in the elite Warwick Hotel (now Hotel Zaza) overlooking Hermann Park and the Museum of Fine Arts at the request of oilman John Mecom, owner of the Warwick and the New Orleans Saints. It was here that Norris of Houston was introduced to wealthier Houstonians, celebrities like John Wayne, Evil Knievel, Milton Berle, Tony Martin, Liberace, and all the astronauts at NASA who frequented his shop when in town and became lifelong customers.
Warwick Hotel, before the pool and terrace were added.
Liberace, who autographed this photo for my mother after dropping in.
After a vacation in Santa Fe one year, Norris was busy planning the opening of his third barber shop near the soon to be developed Galleria site on South Post Oak Road (now Post Oak Boulevard) which still resembled more of the wild west with horses and cows behind barbed wire fences. Norris was inspired by the timber columns and heavy plaster he had seen in Santa Fe and set out to build the swankiest barber shop Houston had ever seen.
Post Oak Drive-In movie theater, where the Galleria and Transco (Williams) Tower are now.
In 1968, Norris of Houston opened at its present-day location at 2033 Post Oak Boulevard, between Westheimer and San Felipe, next to Norton Ditto. The shop featured 20 chairs in private booths for the barbers and the lobby came with all the cobwebs, cowhide, chandeliers, and woodwork from the Palace of Governors in Santa Fe. Even the enormous paintings were rumored to be of Womack ancestors (they were not) as if Norris needed any additional street cred among his well-heeled customers.
Exterior, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Interior, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Interior, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Norris of Houston on Post Oak with more recent suburban stucco enhancements.
Current interior of Post Oak location with recent additions.
Norris of Houston went on to open another shop downtown in the Tenneco (Kinder Morgan) Building and by then had become the most profitable such enterprise in the world grossing over $1 million a year. He was the first barber shop to offer men's hair and scalp analysis, shampoo and conditioner treatment, followed by a styled cut with hair products and blow drying. Additional services included manicures and pedicures, shoeshines, facials, massages, and even hair loss treatments, toupees, and wigs. All, of course, by appointment only, as walk-ins were not welcome. He also discouraged female customers, as he didn't want the men thinking they were walking into a beauty shop.
Tenneco (formerly El Paso Energy, now Kinder Morgan) Building downtown.
In 1972, planning began on his largest establishment yet and Texas Parade magazine was there to tell the story. Stating "He's getting in Houston's hair ... as well as its pockets! Waving his magic scissors, Norris turns hair into gold ..." and then posing the question, "How much do you tip a high school dropout who became a barber, last year grossed a cool million, and next year will probably gross twice that?"
Norris with his daughter Sherry (my mother) and his son Norris, Jr. Both have worked for the business in the past.
Groundbreaking for new shop with then city councilman Jim McConn, who later became mayor of Houston after Fred Hofheinz and before Kathy Whitmire.
By 1974, his new flagship super-shop had opened at 3303 Audley near Greenway Plaza. By far his largest barber shop at over 6,000 square feet with 60 chairs all in private booths. It was designed by renowned architect Walter Barrineau III (best known for his futuristic design of the DFW International Airport air traffic control tower). The architecture was unlike any of his previous shops. The building form was progressive and the use of natural light was inventive.
While his shop on Post Oak garnered immense local press upon opening, the Audley location caught the attention of national and international media. Soon the Guinness Book of World Records was knocking on his door to include the business in their latest edition under a new category: The Largest Barber Shop in the World. A title he held into the 1980s when the category was retired with the advent of Vidal Sassoon, Visible Changes and the like, who all chose the more profitable franchise and licensing routes for business expansion.
Guinness Books of World Records. I think I've set my own record for tracking down all the old copies :)
On a recent trip the Houston Metropolitan Research Center downtown, I was delighted to discover they house all the old photo negatives from the Houston Post archives. The negatives are kept with their original photo assignment and caption sheets given to the photographers when a story was about to run. From the comments on the sheet, it seems that the Houston Post hadn't caught up to the women's rights movement they were writing about at the time.
Note the sexist remark... in writing... and signed. Sigh.
Norris of Houston at 3303 Audley in 1976.
Waiting area.
Private booths.
Looking down from conference area.
Shampoo sinks.
Norris with his "pretty female barbers"
As the business continued to grow, Norris of Houston was involved in several lawsuits that led to the Texas Supreme Court's decision on how non-compete agreements are handled in the State of Texas. The most notable cases were:
However, in 1976 Harvard University chose to compile a case study on the success and growth of Norris of Houston and it would become part of the curriculum of their prestigious Harvard Business School.
The Houston Post, 1976
. . .
Surprisingly, the shop at 3303 Audley still stands. So what does it look like these days? Houston Medical Imaging is in the building now and aside from some deferred maintenance, the exterior has only seen minor changes.
The building is mostly obstructed from the street by overgrown landscaping.
New stretched canvas entrance canopy, stone veneer tiles falling off of walls, and fake stone ceramic tile on the steps.
Newer clerestory windows and more stone veneer tile falling off.
Overgrown landscaping.
The shop at 3303 Audley closed in 1990 when another shop opened on Post Oak across the street in the Post Oak Towers designed by architect Philip Johnson, designer of several notable buildings in Houston and around the world. By the end of the decade, Norris of Houston had consolidated into and expanded the original location on Post Oak Boulevard. It operates as a hair salon and day spa now where women make up the majority of the customers these days and they specialize in bridal parties.
Post Oak Towers, designed by Philip Johnson
Norris, with grandsons Landon and Spencer, in front of the original Post Oak shop.
Norris cutting Landon's hair, with me observing.
. . .
* * * UPDATE * * *
Norris atop a pile of his barbers at the end of the book, "Houston: The Once and Future City" in 1971.
Norris Womack passed away on June 4, 2013. He will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved him. A guestbook can be signed with condolences here.
Spencer Howard Design + Construction Management of Houston Receives
Houzz’s 2013 ‘Best Of Houzz’ Award
Annual Survey and Analysis of 11 Million Monthly Users
Reveals Top-Rated U.S. Professionals
HOUSTON, TX – January 29, 2013 – Spencer Howard Design + Construction Management of Houston, Texas, has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” 2013 by Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design. The 10-year old project management firm was chosen by the more than 11 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community. Fewer than 3% of Houzz professionals received the award.
The Houzz “Best Of Houzz” award for 2013 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the community of 11 million monthly users, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 124 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site, iPad/iPhone app and Android app.
“We are thrilled to have joined the Houzz community last year and look forward to continuing to use the platform to collaborate with our clients in the future,” said Spencer Howard, owner of the firm. “Houzz has become an essential tool in our efforts to achieve design and process excellence on projects.”
“Houzz provides homeowners with an in-depth, 360-degree view of building, remodeling and design professionals through images of their work, reviews and an opportunity to interact with them directly in the Houzz community,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community. “We’re delighted to recognize Spencer Howard among our “Best Of” professionals for exceptional customer service as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”
With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like Spencer Howard, but also those whose work matches their own aspirations for their home. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and evaluating their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.
About Spencer Howard Design + Construction Management
With over 10 years experience in the design and construction industry, Spencer Howard has completed $150 million in new construction and renovation projects ranging from residential to institutional facilities.
Whether designing and constructing an orphanage in Africa or managing the restoration of a historic home in Houston, Spencer Howard uses sustainable project planning tools he developed that has led to the successful completion of several projects for Rice University and 75 grants for disaster assistance and hazard mitigation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Spencer Howard is an Associate of the American Institute of Architects and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He looks forward to collaborating with each of his clients to ensure total project success!
About Houzz
Houzz (www.houzz.com) is a leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, ‘advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.5 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality. @houzz_inc
This is the first part in a series covering Continuity of Operations for Critical Facilities.
. . .
As I begin this new year and my schedule quickly fills up for the remainder of January, I am reminded of a presentation Scott Simpson of KlingStubbins in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gave the project managers at Rice University several years ago.
"Most people know that the month of January was named after the Roman god Janus, a unique fellow with two faces, one looking forward and one backward. It was this peculiar form of double vision that allowed Janus to see both the future and the past at the same time. Janus would be a good choice as the patron saint for project managers. As primary navigators of the design effort, they must know at all times what’s been accomplished, what remains to be done, and how to choreograph the team’s remaining activities within the parameters of the available budget and schedule. Thus, a good project manager must live simultaneously in all three tenses—past, present, and future."
He then went on to describe the conventional design process and the sequential decision-making as a project becomes more defined, team members are added, and it moves into construction. Yet, as the design and construction industry continue to struggle with adapting HyperTrack and Integrated Project Delivery into their cultures, I've found the basic principles can be paralleled to the emergency management of critical facilities.
Mr. Simpson stated, "The logic of this [conventional] approach is that expertise is added to the team as required, building a body of knowledge that culminates in the final project. However, there is also a downside to sequential thinking, which is that the newly arrived team members do not have the benefit of the history of the project … they don’t always know who made key decisions or why. By the time they arrive on the scene, certain things may be set in stone that, with additional insight, might have turned out differently (but now it’s too late)."
In states like Texas (where critical facilities have quickly forgotten about Hurricanes Alex, Dolly, Ike and Rita) or Louisiana (where critical facilities have still not rebuilt from Hurricanes Gustav and Katrina), our industry witnesses companies offering inferior products move in immediately post-disaster. The products are marketed as low-cost alternatives, fast installation, and minimal disruption to the buildings and its occupants.
For facilities owners that resist this initial urge will usually turn to conventional A/E/C firms to manage the recovery. However, who is charged with educating the facility owners and A/E/C firms about doing more than the bare minimum standard required by code? Every facility can respond and recover from an emergency, but how can Continuity of Operations be guaranteed when emergency prevention and preparedness are so often overlooked?
The continuous threat hurricanes and other natural disasters pose for the Houston area require emergency management officials to constantly update plans and collaborate on best practices. As a Tier 1 UASI (Urban Areas Security Initiative) region, there is a heightened need to improve the city’s capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist incidents.
This is a must attend event for all responsible for the safety and well-being of the public. You’ll leave with a wealth of best practice information, new ideas and peer relationships critical to Houston’s unique all-hazards challenges.
Benefits include:
New relationships to pave future collaboration strategies
Briefing regarding latest federal initiatives and their regional impact
A better understanding of leadership skills to use before and during an incident
Best practices/lessons learned in collaborative emergency planning
Current technologies and trends in Communications, GIS, and Incident Command
Registration is free for public professionals and non-profit organizations.
To protect Houston and Galveston from future hurricanes, a Rice University-led team of experts recommends building a floodgate across the Houston Ship Channel adding new levees to protect densely populated areas on Galveston Island and the developed west side of Galveston Bay. The team also recommends creating a 130-mile-long coastal recreation area to sustainably use wetlands that act as a natural flood barrier.
The recommendations appear in a new report this month from Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center. The report follows more than two years of research into lessons learned from Hurricane Ike, which made landfall at Galveston Island in September 2008. Ike caused 112 U.S. deaths and is the third-costliest storm in U.S. history, with damages estimated at $30 billion.
"Ike was a Category 2 storm, and Houston and Galveston stand to suffer greater losses from stronger storms, particularly if they hit south of Galveston Bay," said Phil Bedient, director of the SSPEED Center and Rice's Herman Brown Professor of Engineering. "As we studied this, we also met with leaders from industry and government to determine the most realistic and feasible way to protect lives and property from the next big storm."
I want to let you all know about an upcoming deadline for hazard mitigation grants in Texas. Below is a link to the federal declaration for the wildfire disaster (DR-4029) in September with a note about the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). While only the counties affected by wildfires are eligible for public assistance, all counties in Texas are eligible for hazard mitigation funding for any natural hazard. Please tell your project managers, so that they may be able to take advantage of this opportunity, whether it is for new hazard mitigation projects or for resubmitting previously denied grant applications. This is your chance to further protect your facilities!
The deadline to submit a Notice of Interest is December 2, 2011, and the deadline to submit the application is March 23, 2012. These grants are a 75/25 cost share with FEMA, but I always remind my clients that the grants usually cross into several fiscal budget cycles, so the 25% can be partially funded each year until the total is reached. Below are the contacts with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) that run the HMGP program in Austin. They both know me well from the work I did at Rice University and can provide you with more information, as well as put you in contact with your local TDEM officer. As always, if you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
While I am new to Phoenix Architectural, I worked with their teams for some time when I was a project manager at Rice University over several years.
At Rice, I served as the owner representative for the design and construction of a new $132 million multi-building complex and managed several other projects including 75 federal grants for disaster assistance and hazard mitigation totaling $9.9 million. During this time, my experiences and research led me to develop a front end planning tool for sustainable projects, which was introduced at the International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management in Jeju, Korea, in 2009.
After a 5-year building expansion campaign and the recent recession, the grants I was writing and administering for Rice were adding up to more than their fiscal capital project budget cycles. So, I decided to see what I could do for other universities and institutions to help with their mitigation efforts.
What I have seen as I travel the Gulf Coast states now, is that clearly, there is an unmet need for disaster aid assistance in the distribution of these funds. This blog serves as a platform and forum for the design and construction management industry as it relates to emergency management. The goal is to improve your emergency management, maximize disaster aid from FEMA and HUD, and minimize repetitive losses and insurance premiums.
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