Joe Francis (1933-1994), founder of The Barbers Corporation was the quintessential self-made man who never forgot his early struggles and continuously looked for ways to help others find opportunities in the salon business. To memorialize his life and achievements, The Joe Francis Haircare Cosmetology Scholarship Foundation was established in 1994 by his wife of 39 years, Flo Francis, and the many people whom he advised and mentored to their own success in the industry.

Joe began his career as a shoeshine boy for a local barber school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His labors eventually led him to enroll as a barber student at the age of 17, and he set a record as the youngest Barber to get his license in the State of Minnesota. His entrepreneurial spirit flourished and in 1963, he built his first state-of-the-art hair salon. In 1970, Joe Francis was the first in the industry to franchise through his publicly-traded company, The Barbers Hairstyling for Men and Women, Inc. The company enjoyed great success and by 2000 had established over 1,000 hair salons throughout the United States, Europe, and Russia.