Hyscel Ward

Hyscel Ward cutting customer's hair in March 2008

Hyscel Dean Ward is an Indiana licensed barber in Bloomington, Indiana. He runs Ward's Downtown Barber Shop on 220 N. Walnut Street.

Life

Hyscel Ward was born in Leipsic, Indiana in September 1934 and grew up in Orleans, Indiana, where he played high school basketball. In the 1950s he served in the United States Army in Germany. After leaving active duty he returned home and worked in a factory with his father. The chemicals in the factory made him and ill and he decided to go to barber school. Ward received his barber license on May 31, 1960. He began working as a barber at Woody's Barber Shop in College Mall. He remained at College Mall until 1975 and later opened his own shop on N. Walnut Street. In 2010 Ward celebrated his fiftieth year cutting hair. His business telephone number is 812-336-0092.

Ward's barbershop is noted for his collection of Indiana University sports memorabilia, particularly basketball paraphernalia, and authentic mid-20th century barber equipment, including original barber chairs. Throughout his career Ward cut the hair of many IU athletes and administrators, including former IU-athletic director Bill Orwig, who ran IU athletics from 1961 to 1975. In February 2008 ESPN basketball commentator Brent Musburger visited Ward's Downtown Barber Shop before an Indiana University Basketball game. In his pregame broadcast Musburger spend several minutes reflecting on the atmosphere and IU paraphernalia in Ward's barber shop. Ward also briefly appeared at the beginning of an ESPN film about former-IU basketball coach Bobby Knight.

Ward has been married for more than fifty-years.

References

• "Hyscel Ward." Flickr.com. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorg/3354735883/>

• "Hyscel D. Ward." Indiana License Professional. <http://professional-background.com/Indiana/Contractors/licenseNo/BA00137249/detail.aspx>

• "Ward's Downtown Barber Shop." Indiana.net. <http://4indiana.net/Indiana/Bloomington/Wards-Downtown-Barber-Shop/profile-8123360092.html>

• Rob Hoffman. "Playing second fiddle in Bloomington." Ann Arbor News. October 4, 2004.<http://sites.google.com/site/robhoffmana2/indianafb> (Accessed July 4, 2010)

• Andrea Murray. "Big Red Fever: Hoosier fans pumped for tonight's game." The Herald-Times. March 23, 2002.

• Bob Bridge. Barbershops make the cut. Hoosier Times. March 11, 2001.

• Charles Scudder. Bloomington barbers offer old time experience in modern age. Indiana Daily Student. December 10, 2010. <http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=79016> (Accessed December 10, 2010)