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.; Photograph included in the Exhibit: Firsts, Seconds and Thirds: African American Leaders in Los Angeles During the 1960s and '70s from the Rolland J. Curtis Collection. City Councilmen appear to be participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Modern Materials Co., which is located at 655 E. Florence Ave., Los Angeles. Pictured are: Councilman Tom Bradley, second from left, holding a pair of shears; Steve Anderson, owner of Modern Materials Co., third from left, wearing a tie; Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, holding a pair of shears in one hand and the ribbon with the other hand, and Councilman Billy Mills, second from right, holding a third pair of shears. Several unidentified employees stand on either side and behind the group, and rows of pallets are stacked from floor to ceiling in the background. See images 00119358 through 00119374 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Bradley, Tom,--1917-1998 Anderson, Steve Lindsay, Gilbert Mills, Billy G Modern Materials, Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif.) Building materials industry Lumber-yards Lumber City council members African American politicians African American men Men Employees Ribbons Scissors and shears Dedications 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.
