Singing along to Aerosmith while cutting the hair of students, it’s pretty obvious that Lloyd Howard enjoys his job. It would seem that this man who has been the university barber for over 30 years has achieved what any person searches for in life – he has found a career doing what he loves.

“I hate to say I’m here because of y’all, but that’s probably why I’m here,” Howard said of the students on campus. “I guess that’s part of the beauty of working on a college campus. Every four years you get a brand new shift.”

Howard’s history with the university goes back longer than most faculty and staff have been around, and certainly dates back to a time long before most university students were even alive. In fact, when most of this year’s seniors were born, Howard had already been the barber at the university for 10 years.

“I came here in August of 1976,” Howard said. “I lived in Winston-Salem, but I came to North Carolina from South Carolina 1964.”

Prior to his time at the university, Howard had both worked in a factory and been a member of the United States Marine Corps.  A sticker on his mirror reminds him of this, saying “U.S. Marines – When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight.”

Despite these prior occupations, Howard still had not tapped into his true passion. “I saw a program on TV about a barber school in Winston-Salem, put in an application, and got put at the top of the list because I was a veteran,” he said. “I was over my head and I couldn’t turn back. I just wanted to do something besides working in a factory.”

The story since then has written itself. Howard worked at the university barber shop, which then was in the front of Kitchin Hall where the Deacon Shop now is, for several years, later purchasing the store, of which he is still the owner. Since then he has never looked back.

“I get up at 6:30 a.m. and I’m lucky if I’m home at 6:30 p.m., so I’m still pulling 12 hour days,” he said. Having been at the university for so many years, Howard certainly has cut the hair of some interesting people. “I’ve cut the last three presidents, Dr. Scales, Dr. Hearn and now Dr. Hatch,” he said. “But some of the most interesting people are not the people that are interesting or known. Everybody is interesting. You guys have been the most interesting part; I’ve just been cutting your hair.”

One example of Howard’s ability to forge relationships with university members was his friendship with Dr. Thomas Hearn. “His secretary called me that morning and told me he had passed away,” Howard said of Hearn’s passing.

For many families in the area, getting a haircut from Howard has become a tradition. “We had a dean here named Mark Reese,” he said. “I cut his hair, I cut his son Jordan’s, and now Jordan’s son is here, so I’ve cut three generations of the Reese family. I’ve got a couple now that come in here that I cut their father’s hair. In fact, one guy had the same name as his dad, George Mabe.”

When asked whether his passion lay in the actual work of a barber shop or being around students, Howard could not find a difference between the two aspects of his job. “I can’t separate the two,” he said. “I came here right out of barber school, I guess in any barber shop you’re going to have different people coming in all the time. I don’t know if I could have worked in a shop anywhere else as long as I have here. I love it.”

Having been at the university for 33 years, Howard has been in a unique position to watch as the atmosphere has changed – or, as he has observed, has not changed. “Except from the buildings themselves and the growth, I don’t think it has (changed),” he said. “Of course, I don’t know about the politics. The students still have the same ambitions, and I hate to say but you’re all starting to look alike now. The biggest change would be the growth itself.”

Howard also thinks that the students themselves have held certain characteristics constant over the years. “The hairstyles and the dress pretty much look the same,” he said. “It may be that they’re recruiting the same type of students, but I really don’t see that much difference.”

After thinking for a moment, Howard remarked, “Maybe I haven’t changed much either, in 33 years.” Despite his long tenure at the university, Howard has no plans to leave anytime soon.

“I hope to stick around,” he said. “I can’t imagine leaving. I don’t see any reason to be leaving anytime soon. That’s one good thing about barbering, I don’t find it stressful. I’ve heard of barbers 89 and 90 years old.”

Howard sincerely hopes that the presence of the shop on campus is appreciated by students. “They haven’t run me off yet,” he said. “I know I hear a lot of them say it’s a great idea to have a barber shop on campus. I hope they appreciate it. We try to get along with everyone as well as we can.”