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.; Elected in 1963, Billy G. Mills (1929-) was the third African American to serve on the Los Angeles City Council, a seat he held until 1974 when he became a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. He was the first African American chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee, winning over fellow Councilman Tom Bradley by just three votes. Pictured posing for photograph are, L-R: Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, unidentified, Councilman Billy Mills, Robert Bealer, and Mayor Tom Bradley at the Commendatory Certificate for Meritorious Service event for Robert Bealer on January 7, 1969. The certificate reads, ""City of Los Angeles Commendatory Certificate is hereby presented by Councilman Billy G. Mills to Robert ""Bob"" Bealer for Meritorious Service to the City of Los Angeles."" The event took place at City Hall. See images 00118719 through 00118729; 00120494 through 00120498, and 00138774 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 color negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Lindsay, Gilbert Mills, Billy G Bradley, Tom,--1917-1998 Los Angeles City Hall (Los Angeles, Calif.) African American men Men City council members City halls Award presentations Awards Audiences Certificates Posing Smiling Los Angeles (Calif.)
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