Title supplied by cataloger. Rolland Joseph 'Speedy' Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park. George Pierre, Chief of the Nez Perce tribe, accepts a proclamation for All American Indian Week, held by Councilman Billy Mills in the gray suit on the right. Also on hand are other unidentified Native Americans in full dress and several school children surrounding them, as well as three men just off camera at top. Photograph dated October 5, 1967. See images 00119238 and 00119317 through 00119328 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Pierre, George Mills, Billy G Native Americans--Clothing Headdresses Feathers City council members Proclamations Children Girls Boys African American men Men Los Angeles (Calif.)
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