CCSS

R.1, R.2, W.2, W.4, W.7 

Hey Boys, Get a Haircut!

In the 1960s, having the wrong hairstyle could get you kicked out of school

Underwood Archives/Getty Images

    Principal Luther A. Howard was on the hunt for a menace at his school. What was the dangerous problem?

    No one was picking fights. They weren’t hassling teachers either. Principal Howard was looking for one thing and one thing only: long hair. 

    The boys of Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut, had been given a warning. They were told to get a haircut by January 29, 1968. If they came to school with long hair, Principal Howard would punish them. 

    And he wasn’t kidding. Howard sent home more than 50 students that day. 

    “Hair must be away from the eyes and away from the collar line,” Principal Howard explained. “Hair must be neat (not bushy) around the ears.”

Fighting for Change

    You might be surprised that boys were sent home from school for having long hair. But at the time, short hair showed good grooming and good manners. Long hair seemed messy and rude. 

    To some adults, long hair was just one more way that teenagers were starting to stir up trouble. In the late 1960s, many young people wanted to see change in America. They were calling for an end to the Vietnam War. They were fighting for more rights for women and African Americans.

    These teenagers didn’t always agree with adults. And they didn’t want to look like them either. Music stars like the Beatles had long hair hanging in their faces. This inspired kids to try new looks.

    One big trend was hippie fashion. Teens loved tie-dye, sandals, bell-bottom pants—and of course, long hair. 

Parlophone Music Sweden (The Beatles); Arthur Schatz/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images (bell bottoms)

Changing Styles
In the 1960s, rock stars like the Beatles (left) inspired new hair and clothing styles. One popular trend was bell-bottoms (right)—pants that got wider at the knee.

A Big Debate

    At Brien McMahon High, the rules about long hair started a fierce debate. Some parents supported the boys. They showed up at the school with signs saying, “It’s not the hair on top but the mind beneath.” 

    Eventually, most boys gave in and got their hair trimmed. Others refused. A few even took the issue to court. In the end, they lost. 

    And Norwalk wasn’t the only town in America to fight over hair. More than 100 court cases about hair were filed during this time period. 

    Going to court over your hair may seem crazy. But these teens weren’t just fighting to wear a certain hairstyle. They were fighting for the freedom to be themselves.

    And if you’re a boy and your hair touches your ears—you can thank them.

ACTIVITY: 
Why was long hair a big deal in the 1960s?

Write a paragraph to answer this question. Get started by using facts from the article to finish the sentences below. 

Topic Sentence: In the 1960s, there were a number of court cases about ___                  

The main idea of your paragraph: What right were boys fighting for?

Detail 1: To many adults at the time, long hair on boys seemed ___                          
How would many adults have described boys with long hair? 

Detail 2: One high school in Connecticut even ___
What happened to boys who showed up with long hair at Brien McMahon High School?

Detail 3: Some boys got haircuts, but others ___
What did the Brien McMahon boys who didn’t get haircuts do?  

Conclusion: For these boys, the fight wasn’t only about haircuts, it was about ___
What was the bigger issue behind the fight for long hair?

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