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.; Born on March 14, 1926, George Pierre was a war veteran, author, politician, businessman, and television and movie screenplay writer. At the age of 16 he volunteered and enlisted in the armed forces as a PFC in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and became the recipient of the Purple Heart. After getting out of the military, he earned many degrees including a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts in Political Science, Associate in Arts in Social Sciences, Master of Arts in Political Science and doctoral candidate in Political Science. In 1955, George Pierre was nominated to the Judgeship of Colville Court in Washington State and in 1960, he was a candidate for the US Commissioner of Indian Affairs; in 1963, he was the installed Chief of the Colville Confederated Tribes after his father's death; in 1964, Pierre was elected and served one term in the House of Representatives for Washington State. As a businessman in the 1960's, George Pierre organized the "All American Indian Week" at the Los Angeles fairgrounds, an annual powwow and Indian arts and crafts market. Chief George Pierre died on September 16, 2011 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. George Pierre, Chief of the Nez Perce tribe (at left), accepts a proclamation for All American Indian Week, as city council member Gilbert Lindsay (tan suit) stands by and Councilman Billy Mills (behind podium) gives a speech. Also on hand in City Hall Chambers is Iron Eyes Cody standing next to Mills, along with other unidentified Native Americans in full dress and two other men in suits. Photograph dated October 4, 1968. See images 00119207 through 00119223 and 00138006 through 00138012 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Pierre, George Cody, Iron Eyes,--1904-1999 Mills, Billy G Los Angeles City Hall (Los Angeles, Calif.) Native Americans--Clothing Headdresses Feathers Actors--United States City council members City halls Proclamations Public speaking Microphones Men Los Angeles (Calif.)
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