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.; Gloria Curtis began her career in Education in 1953 and retired as director of volunteer programs for the LAUSD in 1988. In 1964, Gloria was tasked with researching and writing biographies on famous African Americans to incorporate into existing textbooks which lacked heroes of color. She went on to co-author several textbooks highlighting minorities in history. It is due to Gloria's kind generosity that the Rolland J. Curtis Collection of Negatives and Photographs is a part of the Los Angeles Public Library's Photo Collection. Pictured from L-R are Ethel Bradley, wife of Councilman Tom Bradley (not pictured); the Reverend H. Hartford Brookins; Montana McNealy; community activist Leon Aubry; and Gloria Curtis, wife of photographer Rolland J. Curtis (not pictured). They are all attending the First AME Church Elevation Banquet which took place at the Biltmore Bowl. Ms. McNealy is wearing a tiara after being crowned Queen of First AME Church for having sold the largest number of tickets to non-members of the church. The event was held on October 30, 1964. See images 00053444; 00125507; 00128025 through 00128028; 00134219; 00142028 through 00142040; and 00143361 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Bradley, Ethel Brookins, H. Hartford Aubry, Leon, Sr Curtis, Gloria Millennium Biltmore Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.) Biltmore Bowl (Los Angeles, Calif.) First A.M.E. Church (Los Angeles, Calif.) First A.M.E. Church (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Clergy African American men Men African American women Women Clergy Educators Businessmen Community activists Barbers Hotels Fur garments Boutonnieres Tiaras Posing Smiling Los Angeles (Calif.)
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