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. The newly-crowned Miss Watts at the Watts Christmas Parade, standing with City Council member Billy Mills and Tom Hawkins, radio personality with KGFJ.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w;10x13 cm. Photographic prints
Mills, Billy G Hawkins, Tom Watts Christmas Parade KGFJ (Radio station : Los Angeles, Calif.) Women--California--Los Angeles Radio personalities--United States City council members--California--Los Angeles Evening gowns--California--Los Angeles Tiaras--California--Los Angeles Bouquets--California--Los Angeles Parades--California--Watts (Los Angeles) Watts (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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