College of Cosmetology Careers Unlimited had its start in Portland’s Hollywood district over 45 years ago at several different locations under several different ownerships. The first location was on NE 40th Avenue between Sandy Blvd and Tillamook Street. This facility was demolished to make room for larger commercial expansions. In May of 1985, the college was moved to its permanent facility at 2030 NE 42nd Avenue, the corner of NE 42nd Avenue and Tillamook Street.

In 1975, Dr. John S. Chilson was invited to Oregon by the State Board of Cosmetic Therapy (now known as Cosmetology) for the purpose of establishing the state’s first competency based training program in the cosmetology profession. At the time, the state’s minimum requirement for graduation was 2,500 clock hours. Convinced that students were being held in training long past their achieving employable level skills, Dr Chilson received approval from the Oregon State Department of Education to demonstrate the effectiveness of competency based training compared to the clock hour fixed time graduation requirement. Unable to convince Oregon beauty schools to break tradition and try this time saving training program, Dr. Chilson purchased several Oregon beauty schools to adequately test his curriculum, including the purchase of Cosmetology Careers Unlimited on May 15, 1983.

Under Oregon law and administrative rules, beauty schools can now select the type of program they wish to offer students, either a fixed clock hour program or competency based training. Both types of program provide quality opportunities to those seeking to enter the arts of cosmetology: Hair Design, Esthetics, and Nail Technology. The distinction between the two is how students advance toward meeting their graduation requirements—clock hours vs. direct competency assessment.

Still under the direction of Dr. John S. Chilson, founder of Oregon’s first Competency based training in cosmetology, instructional staffs have been qualifying graduates for the state licensing exam since 1975.