E. F. Young, Jr.

E. F. Young, Jr. (July 13, 1898 – May 1950) was an American businessman in Meridian, Mississippi who built a business related to services, such as barber shops and beauty shops, as well as manufacturing and selling hair care products developed for African Americans. He also owned and operated the E.F. Young Hotel in Meridian, and eventually manufactured his products in Chicago as well as Meridian.

E(ugene) F(red) Young, Jr. was born in Russell, Mississippi, the son of E. F. Young, Sr., a Methodist minister and farmer, and his wife Maggie.

In 1927, after graduating from the Haven Institute in Meridian, Mississippi, Young set to establish a career in business. For an African-American man in the South, opportunities were few and far between. While in school, he worked part-time as a barber. Upon graduation, he began working full-time as a barber to support his new wife and growing family.

E.F. Young married Velma Beal in 1927. They had three children:

• Loyce Young [Daniels-De Augustino-Todd] (April 3, 1928– November 9, 1994)
• Charles Lemuel Young, Sr. (born August 27, 1931 – April 29, 2009)
• E(ugene) F(red) "Sonny" Young III

• Funeral Program for Loyce De Augustino-Todd, 1994
• Phelps, Shirelle (editor) (1998). Who's Who among African Americans (11th ed.). Detroit; London: Gale. ISBN 0-7876-2469-1. ISSN 1081-1400. 
• Brown, Ida (2009-04-30). "Meridian loses giant". Meridian (MS) Star. Meridian, Mississippi. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 

As a barber, Young realized the need for hair care products designed for his African-American clients. As the demand for these products grew, he decided to start a company to manufacture these products on a wider scale. In the 1931, he established the E.F. Young, Jr. Manufacturing Company. In 1933, his company received its trademark and by 1945, it had grown to one of the most successful black owned businesses in the South.

After a long terminal illness, Young died in 1950. His widow assumed control of the business. Their eldest son, Charles L. Young, Sr. took over the operation in 1969. He served as president of the company until his death in 2009. The company distributes its line of products throughout the United States, It is also distributed in Canada and the Caribbean.