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. Robert Bealer (at center) is pictured with an unidentified group of men at the Commendatory Certificate for Meritorious Service event for Mr. Bealer that took place at City Hall on January 7, 1969. The seal for the City of Los Angeles can partially be seen hanging in the background behind the men. See images 00118719 through 00118729; 00120494 through 00120498, and 00138774 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Los Angeles City Hall (Los Angeles, Calif.) African American men Men City halls Award presentations Awards Certificates Seals (Insignia) Posing Handshaking Smiling Los Angeles (Calif.)
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