UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF BEAUTY HISTORY

History of Universal College of Beauty

On March 22, 1930, Mrs. Hazel D. Williams founded the HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE in Los Angeles, CA. Mrs. Williams had applied for admission to numerous Cosmetology schools in the Los Angeles area but was denied admission because of racial discrimination. She decided to open her own school and name it HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE, after a friend, Henrietta Kent, who had given her financial assistance.

The HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE was the first school west of the Rocky Mountains to develop a course of study specifically designed to meet the hair care needs of African Americans. Many of the minority cosmetologists in Los Angeles graduated from the HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE including her son John. In 1956, Mrs. Williams decided to retire. It was at that time that her son, John C. Williams, embraced the opportunity to carry on the family business. 

John and his wife, Joneal, (also a graduate of HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE) continued Mrs. Williams' legacy by opening up their own school in South Los Angeles located at Vermont Avenue and Manchester Blvd. John, with the determination to make all feel welcome, decided to rename the college from HENRIETTA’s SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE to the UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF BEAUTY, in order to create an inclusive environment to promote diversity. Vermont became the main campus for all the other branches.

The need in the community for quality Cosmetology education prompted John and Joneal to open the Leimert Park location of UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF BEAUTY, located at Vernon and Crenshaw, in August 1985. In 1988, Mrs. Hazel Williams passed. However, in the spirit of continuing the family tradition, John’s son Kenneth Williams joined the family business as Director of the Vermont Campus.

Joneal Williams was a native of Charlotte, NC, and it had been her dream to open a cosmetology school in her hometown to serve the educational needs of her community. Her dream became a reality in October 1988 with the opening of UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF BEAUTY in Charlotte, NC, which was dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Hazel Williams. The family’s cosmetology schools continued to grow and thrive, and thousands of cosmetologists have graduated over the years.

Unfortunately, on February 7, 1993, John's spouse Joneal and their son “Chip" were tragically killed in an accident in Charlotte. The family was devastated, but in the Williams family tradition of surviving adversity and keeping Mrs. Hazel Williams and now Joneal's dreams alive, Kenneth's spouse Belinda Williams joined the family business as the Director of the Leimert Campus.

The schools continued to graduate successful cosmetologists. In August 1997, another family dream was realized with the opening of UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF BEAUTY in Compton, CA. 

Standing the test of time is our celebrated, state-of-the-art Los Angeles facility. We continue to train, nurture, and graduate a wealth of exceptionally talented individuals who sought to fulfill their passions in the art of cosmetology. Coming in 2023, we’re explaining our curriculum to include Barbering, Manicuring, and Esthetician courses! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals as well.