James Donald Hall was born March 4, 1918 in Louisiana to Wesley and Alma (Newt) Hall in Louisiana and raised in nearby Arkansas. One of eleven children, Mr. Hall came to Michigan in 1946 to attend school. He quickly became a barber and opened two shops; one in Ypsilanti and one in Ann Arbor. Mr. Hall’s barbershops were cornerstones of Washtenaw County’s Black communities and served several generations. Mr. Hall had a number of businesses and properties in the area, including the Universal Asphalt Company. Mr. Hall passed away on January 14, 1999.