Picnic party near E. 109th Street and Central Avenue, Los Angeles, 1940s

Item Overview

Title

Picnic party near E. 109th Street and Central Avenue, Los Angeles, 1940s

Date Created

[1940s?]

Language

No linguistic content

Collection

Walter L. Gordon, Jr./William C. Beverly, Jr. Collection

Notes

Summary

Norman O. Houston helped William Nickerson, Jr. to found the Golden State Mutual Life Insruance Company in1925, and became president in 1945. At one point, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance was the largest black-owned business west of the Mississippi. He expanded the activities of the company over the next 25 years. In 1970 his two sons, Norman B. Houston and Ivan J. Houston, took over active management of the company. He was also first African American to be appointed to the California State Athletic Commission and later served as chairman.
Marshall Miles was a businessman who helped manage the boxing career of Joe Louis remained his lifelong friend and adviser. Marshall and his brothers, Percy and Mitchell, were among the pioneering African-American businessmen in Buffalo in the 1920's and 1930's, beginning with a shoe-repair shop, then with Miles Brothers Dairy. In addition to managing boxers, Miles branched out into real estate and investments.
Walter L. Gordon, Jr. was an African American attorney in Los Angeles.
Mitchell Miles was a wealthy man from Buffalo, NY. He and his brother ran a gambling business, but they were pushed out of Buffalo by the mob. They eventually moved to Los Angeles.
Brice Union Taylor, who was born without a left hand, was an offensive guard for the USC Trojans football team. He was selected as an All-American in 1925.
Louise Brooks was in charge of the kitchens at clubs such as the Dunbar Grill and the F-Fortune Club.

Description

All information concerning the content and description of the image was provided by Walter Gordon.
L to R: Louise Brooks, Walter L. Gordon, Jr., Brice Taylor, an unidentified woman, an unidentified man, Norman O. Houston, Mitchell Miles, Marshall Miles.

Physical Description

Extent

1 photograph : b&w

Keywords

Genre

Black-and-white photographs

Subjects

Entertainment
Lifestyle

African American football players--California--Los Angeles
African American insurance executives--California--Los Angeles
Parties--California--Los Angeles
African American lawyers--California--Los Angeles

Names

Miles, Mitchell Bruce, 1903-1997
Brooks, Louise Mae, 1884-1960
Houston, Norman O., 1893-1981
Taylor, Brice, 1902-1974
Gordon, Walter L., Jr., 1908-2012
Miles, Marshall, 1905-1997

Location

California--Los Angeles

Longitude

33.9368079

Latitude

-118.2541993

Resource type

still image