Title created 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. Several unidentified men and women can be seen picketing in a small corridor of the Mayor's Offices at Los Angeles City Hall, as they protest Mayor Sam Yorty and California State Assemblyman Jesse Unruh. The demonstrators hold picket signs that read, "L.A. hates bosses"; "Jess wants L.A.'s $640,000,000"; "Throw Unruh out -- and [Yorty too]" and "Big [daddy] go [home]." 'Big Daddy' refers to Assemblyman Unruh's nickname, "Big Daddy Unruh." An unidentified photographer in the foreground appears to be trying to direct the protesters to pose for a photo. Photograph circa 1965. See images 00144901 through 00144906 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.) Men Women Demonstrations Picketing Signs and signboards City halls Buildings Photographers Cameras Corridors Doorways Electric light fixtures Drinking fountains Pointing (Gesture) Los Angeles (Calif.)
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