When Bennie Pollard, owner of BennieFactor Products and Bennie & Friends Salon in Louisville, KY, won a NAHA award in the Contemporary Classic category this July, he dedicated it to his mentor, Lyle McCaig, who passed away recently. I was saddened to learn of McCaig's death and wanted to remember him here. For years he ran the Capitol School of Hair Styling in Omaha, NE, (his son, D. Scott McCaig, runs the school today) and was an active member of the National Cosmetology Association (NCA), training other hairdressers to do hair competitively. In 1991 he came up with the idea for Team Y.E.S. (Youth! Energy! Style!) and presented it to the International Beauty Show (IBS). "Lyle wanted to discover and promote young talent," says Pollard, who was a member of Team Y.E.S. from 1992–1993. To become a member, hairdressers under the age of 28 were asked to audition. Of the finalists, four promising young hairdressers were chosen each year to represent the United States on the International Stage at IBS, first in New York City, then later at regional shows in Seattle, Atlanta, Toronto and Dallas. "One of the first things I learned from him was that design, rhythm and flow are part of artistic design," says Pollard. "When I launched my own line, I showed the products to him. It was like showing them to my dad. In fact, his school was the first retail outlet for BennieFactor products. He was just incredibly generous." McCaig is survived by his wife, Judy; his son, D. Scott; his daughter, Mindy Marshall; and six grandchildren. All of us at American Salon and IBS extend our deepest sympathies to his family. He will be missed.
 Marianne Dougherty |
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 The Way I Was |
—Marianne Dougherty, editor in chief, [email protected]