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.; The Bank of Finance was the first African American organized bank in California. Opened in 1964, it catered to small businesses in the community. During its time, it nursed local businesses to fruition and provided financial assistance for necessary community resources like medical centers, day care, and homes for the elderly. Members of the organizing committee included Dr. Edward H. Ballard, Dr. Perry W. Beal, Wilton A. Clarke, Onie B. Granville, Mrs. Bernice M. Malbrue, Tom Bradley and Lorenzo V. Spencer. The bank building at 2651 S. Western Avenue, and a branch opened at 8420 S. Vermont in 1968 have both since been demolished. Superintendent of Banks, John O'Kane (second from right) is shown cutting the ribbon to officially open the Bank of Finance, located at 2651 S. Western Boulevard, as bank president Joseph A. Batten (far left) and vice president Nivelle Beaubien (far right) look on. Two unidentified photographers capture the moment at center. Photograph dated November 1964. See images 00120176; and 00120442 through 00120448 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Bank of Finance (Los Angeles, Calif.) Bank of Finance (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Employees African American men Men Savings and loan associations Banks and banking Bank buildings Bank directors Bank employees Building dedications Celebrations Scissors and shears Ribbons Lost architecture Photographers Cameras Certificates Smiling Los Angeles (Calif.)
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
