Martin Matthew Malek was born November 20, 1905 in Insinger, Saskatchewan. He trained as a barber at Moler Barber College in Winnipeg and worked there before the start of the Second World War. His wife Nellie was born on June 3, 1913 in Gimli, Manitoba, and together they had three daughters, Margaret, Janet, and Linda.

Martin served in the Army Medical Corps in the Second World War, and in 1946 moved to Edmonton to manage the Moler Barber School there. He continued working as the manager and instructor, before becoming the owner in the early 1970s. He retired at the age of 85 and passed away on October 29, 2001 at the age of 95.

The Moler Barber School in Edmonton was part of the Moler System of Barber Colleges, developed by Mr. A. B. Moler and founded in 1893. The main branch was founded in Chicago, and the colleges spread to major cities across the United States and Canada. In 1911, Mr. Moler also wrote a textbook The Barber’s Manual, which remained in print for 30 years.

B. Gooch was the owner of the Edmonton branch in 1937, and Peter Albrecht was the owner in 1951. In 1971, the school amalgamated with the Marvel Hairdressing School, which was also part of the Moler System. Students were transferred to the Marvel location due to low enrollment and the inability to get a new lease from the city due to planned future developments. Barber schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were also closing at that time, with students choosing not to attend private trade schools. In 1974, five students were enrolled in the Moler Barber School in Edmonton. The Moler Barber School in Edmonton closed in 1991.