Milton Pitts

Milton Pitts (4 July 1912 – 25 December 1994) was the White House barber for Republican U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

Milton Pitts
Milton Pitts cutting Ronald Reagan's hair
Born(1912-07-04)July 4, 1912
Greenville, South Carolina
DiedDecember 25, 1994(1994-12-25) (aged 82)
Washington, D.C.
Known forBarber to U.S. presidents

While Pitts was a staunch Republican, he always maintained that "my scissors are neither Republican nor Democrat," and he counted Democratic Senator George McGovern among his clients.[1][2] Democratic President Jimmy Carter did not use Pitts, though, and instead brought Mr. Pitts partner, Ismael Rodriguez. President Reagan's Chief of Staff James Baker dismissed two hair stylists in July 1982 and Pitts again became the sole White House barber.[3]

During his years in the White House, Pitts won acclaim as "Washington's most famous barber." He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman on May 24, 1982.[4] His twentieth anniversary celebration in 1985 was attended by numerous dignitaries including President Reagan, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of State George Shultz and Attorney General Edwin Meese.[5][6]

Pitts regularly gave his clients advice, both fashion and political, and was well known for speaking frankly: he once "suggested that Richard Nixon do something about his nose and told Gerald Ford his ties were too loud."[7] When President Bill Clinton received a $200 haircut from the Beverly Hills stylist Cristophe, Pitts criticized Clinton and said the price amounted to "showmanship" on the part of the barber.[8] In the years after he left the White House, Pitts typically charged $25 for a haircut at his shop in the Sheraton-Carlton Hotel.[1][9]

References
  1. Sidey, Hugh (1995-01-09), "What the Barber Knew", Time, 145 (1): 43
  2. Binder, David (1994-12-28), "Milton Pitts, 82, Favorite Barber Of Four Presidents", The New York Times, pp. D18
  3. Weisman, Steven R. (1982-07-22), "White House Ends Staff's Barbershop Privileges", The New York Times, pp. A20
  5. Hunter, Marjorie; Weaver Jr., Warren (1985-03-21), "Hair, Hair", New York Times, pp. A28
  6. "Remarks at a Reception Honoring Milton Pitts' 20 Years of Service as the Presidents' Barber". National Archives and Records Administration. April 15, 1987. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017.
  7. Stewart, Connie (1985-04-11), "Reagan Called a Cut Above Rest", Los Angeles Times, p. 2
  8. Hanson, Christopher (March 1995), "Reporting From the Razor's Edge", Columbia Journalism Review, 33 (6): 57–59.
  9. Pearl, Daniel (1992-08-11), "Blow Dryers Leave Men's Hair Dry, But Their Image Slick — It's a Burden Bill Clinton Must Bear, Even Though His Barber Absolves Him", The Wall Street Journal, pp. A1
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