Above: a competitor of Paul Roof's in New York. Right: Paul Roof, commander of the Holy City Beard and Moustache Society. Below: Members of the HCBMS enjoy a pub night with fellow bearded men. Would the southern gentlemen of the past approve of the new bearded men of today? According to Paul D. Roof, sociology professor at Charleston Southern University and commander of the Holy City Beard and Moustache Society, the full blown beard is back — the epic, mythical, legendary, enormous beard people only see on wizards. Is this the new men's revolution? Are men throwing away their razors like women burned their bras in the 60s?

In the United States, up and to the Civil War many famous heroes and generals had significant beards, but before Abraham Lincoln, no president had a beard, and no president has worn facial hair since William H. Taft. During WWI the military had to shave their beards to wear gas masks. Head lice also entered into this decision and advertising by Gillette set the standards for no facial hair. Until the 1960s beards in the U.S. were virtually nonexistent; however, following the Vietnam War, beards returned with stars such as The Beatles and the male members of Peter, Paul, and Mary. From the 1990s on the fashion changed to a cropped goatee or a closely cropped beard.

Roof took his last shave in August of 2004. In 2006, he read an article about a beard and mous- tache club in North Carolina and that led to the creation of the Holy City Beard and Moustache Society and the South Carolina Beard & Moustache Association (www.myspace.com/holycitybeardsociety).

The HCBMS is an official chapter of the Beard Team USA.

According to Roof, the group in Charleston has been up and running pub nights and charity events for over two years. The society hosted a back- to-school night in August and collected supplies for a local underserved school, canned goods for Lowcountry Foodbank, and children's books and pajamas for Lowcountry orphans.

Roof was home in Columbia January 24, 2009 for the World Beer Festival. After the festival, the first annual SC Beard & Moustache Association met at Hunter- Gatherer Brewery that Saturday evening to set up the Capital City Beard group.

Roof personally competed in the NYC Beard & Moustache Championships March 14 in Brooklyn, New York in the Full Beard category. Contestants were divided into eight categories including Full Beard, Natural, Goatee, Sideburns, and the newly popular Recession Beard.They were judged on their beard proportions and personalities.

Roof and his wife will be attending the World Beard & Moustache Championships in Alaska in May.