Jerry Alexander Gorman lived a life dedicated to his passion for the professional beauty industry. As a young man, with a new family to support, he took evening classes to become a licensed cosmetologist, while working full-time during the day. His perseverance for success did not stop there. After working for years as a hairdresser, he soon opened his first salon, and many years later became a national sales manager for a major manufacturer of salon and home beauty products. After years of experience, he channeled his love for the industry and decided to give back by becoming a successful and beloved educator.

In that spirit, his family formed the Jerry Alexander Gorman Foundation in his memory in 2015. The foundation was created with its main emphasis on awarding scholarships for students, specifically to those living in lower income families, to support their education to any discipline within the professional beauty industry.