Chicago Unveiled Daurham Way: Honoring Ernest Daurham Jr. and William "Chap" O. Daurham

Daurham Way honorary street sign in Chicago honoring Ernest Daurham Jr. and William “Chap” O. Daurham

By Daurham Hair Products "The Next Generation"

On June 12, 2026, family, friends, former students, community members, and supporters gathered on Chicago's South Side for a moment decades in the making.

The City of Chicago unveiled Daurham Way, honoring brothers Ernest Daurham Jr. and William "Chap" O. Daurham and a legacy built through entrepreneurship, manufacturing, education, barbering, cosmetology, job creation, and community service.

The celebration took place at 103rd Street and Princeton Avenue, an area deeply connected to the Daurham family's history.

For our family, Daurham Way represents more than a street sign. It represents decades of creating jobs, opening doors, developing entrepreneurs, and building a legacy the next generation continues today.

Ernest Daurham Jr. and William "Chap" O. Daurham: The Men Behind the Name

Ernest Daurham Jr. and William "Chap" O. Daurham built careers that extended far beyond owning businesses.

They were entrepreneurs, educators, manufacturers, mentors, and community builders whose work touched hair care, cosmetology, barbering, professional training, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Their impact was not measured only by what they built for themselves. It could also be seen in the people who were given opportunities to work, learn a profession, develop careers, become entrepreneurs, and build businesses of their own.

That philosophy became one of the defining characteristics of the Daurham legacy.

"I've learned my dad wasn't just building a business; he was building people."

325 W. 103rd Street: From D-Orum Manufacturing to Entrepreneur Training

One address tells an important part of the Daurham story.

325 W. 103rd Street became one of the most significant locations in the family's Chicago legacy.

Before it became known for education, the building served as a manufacturing location where D-Orum Hair Products were produced as the business grew.

Manufacturing meant more than producing hair-care products. It also meant providing jobs and creating economic opportunity.

Years later, the same location became home to the Daurham Institute of Hair Technology and later Chazap Barber College.

The work inside the building evolved, but the purpose remained connected to opportunity.

What began as a place where products were manufactured and people were employed became a place where people were trained, careers were developed, entrepreneurs were created, and new businesses could begin.

Manufacturing. Jobs. Training. Entrepreneurship. Business ownership.

That progression is central to the meaning of Daurham Way.

A Legacy Rooted on Chicago's South Side

The Daurham story has deep roots on Chicago's South Side, including the family's connection to Altgeld Gardens.

From those roots grew businesses, products, schools, careers, and opportunities that extended far beyond one neighborhood.

As the businesses expanded, so did their ability to create opportunities for other people.

Employees became part of a growing enterprise. Students learned professional skills. Beauty and barbering professionals developed careers. Entrepreneurs gained knowledge and experience that helped them build something of their own.

The Daurham name became connected not only to hair-care products and schools, but to a larger idea: business could be used to uplift people and create pathways to ownership.

From D-Orum Hair Products to Daurham Hair Products

The Daurham hair care legacy dates to 1979.

Under Ernest Daurham Jr., that early work grew into D-Orum Hair Products, the original company behind a growing line of products created to serve the hair-care needs of the community.

As demand increased, manufacturing expanded and the company created employment while building its presence in the professional beauty and hair-care industry.

The spelling D-Orum is an important part of that history. It reflects the name Ernest Daurham Jr. used as he built the original company and established the foundation of the family's hair-care legacy.

Today, the next generation carries that legacy forward through Daurham Hair Products.

Our signature, "The Next Generation," represents more than a tagline. It reflects our responsibility to honor what came before us while continuing to build for the people and generations that follow.

The company name has evolved. The products have evolved. A new generation is leading.

But the foundation remains rooted in service, entrepreneurship, opportunity, and caring for people.

Why Daurham Way Matters

An honorary street designation preserves a name, but the real meaning of Daurham Way is found in the people connected to that name.

It is found in the employees who helped manufacture the products.

It is found in the students who learned a profession.

It is found in the beauty and barbering professionals who built careers.

It is found in the entrepreneurs who went on to create businesses.

And it is found in the next generation now responsible for carrying the legacy forward.

Daurham Way recognizes not only what Ernest Daurham Jr. and William "Chap" O. Daurham built, but who they helped build along the way.

The Daurham Way Story Continues

The June 12 celebration marked an important moment, but one ceremony cannot tell the entire story.

There are former students, employees, customers, entrepreneurs, family members, photographs, schools, businesses, products, and generations of memories connected to the Daurham name.

Through Daurham Way Stories, we will continue sharing those memories and conversations, including voices from the next generation and people whose lives intersected with the Daurham legacy.

Some people remember the schools.

Some remember D-Orum Hair Products.

Some remember working for the company.

Others remember the training, the businesses, or the opportunities that followed.

And many know the Daurham name today through Daurham Hair Products.

However you came to know the name, you are connected to this story.

Welcome to Daurham Way.

Want to explore more of the Daurham legacy?

DISCOVER DAURHAM WAY

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