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. Ruth Washington, left, business manager and wife of Leon H. Washington, Jr., presents the Sentinel Woman of the Year award to Gloria Curtis, right, Los Angeles school administrator, Minority Group Consultant and wife of photographer Rolland J. Curtis. Other women who were also awarded the Sentinel Woman of the Year award includes: Mmes, Ann Shaw (LA Civic Leader), Libby Clark (LA Sentinel Reporter), Marnesba Tackett (Civil Rights Activist), Marilyn White (former Olympic Medalist), Mozelle T. Outley, Maidie Norman (Film and TV actress), Dr. Ruth Carter, Gertrude Matson, Leola Newsome and Terrazina Brown. Photograph dated November 5, 1964. See images 00053395, 00053443, 00119142, and 00137903 through 00137906, for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Curtis, Gloria Washington, Ruth Los Angeles Sentinel Awards Award presentations Award winners Newspaper publishing Flower arrangement African American women South Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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