Arthur Leo Curtis MD

In 1920 Arthur owned a house, free from mortgage. In 1930 Arthur owned a house valued at $9000. African American Heritage Trail Database: Corrigan v. Buckley Site, Location: 1727 S Street, NW: Irene Corrigan, owner of this property, attempted in 1922 to sell her house to Helen Curtis and her husband Dr. Arthur Curtis, both African American. One year earlier, the majority of the block's white residents, including Corrigan, had signed an agreement, or covenant, that they would not sell or rent their properties to African Americans. When Corrigan tried to sell her house to the Curtises, a neighbor asked the District Supreme Court to enforce the covenant and prevent the sale. The court agreed. Corrigan and Curtis took their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1926 declined to hear the case on the grounds that the constitutional amendments cited by Corrigan and Curtis, including the 14th Amendment that prohibited race-based discrimination, were applicable to action by states only, not by individuals. The lower court ruling stood, and Corrigan could not sell to Curtis. Covenants were enforced legally for the next 20-plus years.

Source: U.S. Supreme Court, Corrigan et al. v. Buckley, 271 U.S. 323 (1926).

Arthur was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia: Section 4 Site 2986-B

Arthur L Curtis / 1ST LT MED CORPS US ARMY

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ARTHUR LEO CURTIS

The cosmopolitan character of Washington life is one of its charms. Among- the colored population, as among the white, are to be found men and women of every State in the Union. Prominent among the native Illinois men who have made a place for themselves in the Capitol City must be mentioned Dr. Arthur Leo Curtis, physician and surgeon. Dr. Curtis is a native of Chicago, where he was born on July 26, 1889. His father is Dr. Austin M. Curtis, now (1921) of Washington, whose biography appears elsew^here in this volume. His mother before her marriage, was Miss Namayoka Sockume and is of Delaware Indian extraction.

Young Curtis laid the foundation of his education in Chicago. The family moving to Washington when he was in the sixth grade, he completed his public school course there. He passed from the public schools to Williston Academy, East Hampton, Mass., for his preparatory training and when ready for his medical course, matriculated at the school of medicine of Howard University and won his M.D. degree in 1912. The following year he was Interne at the Freedman's Hospital, after which he began private practice. Since 1913 he has been on the faculty of his Alma Mater, teaching diagnosis and anesthesia. Dr. Curtis is also visiting surgeon of the Freedman's Hospital. Having lived in the District since child- hood, he has taken no active part in politics. He is a member of the Congregational Church and belongs to the Odd Fellows. He is Senior Examining Physician for the latter. He is a member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of which he his now (1921) vice president. He is also identified with the American Medical Association and is local examiner for the Standard Life Insurance Co.

Dr. Curtis volunteered during the European war and was commissioned First Lieut. He Avent across and saw active service in France. He was one of six colored physicians at the field hospital at Dijion, France.

During his school days, Dr. Curtis was active in college athletics especially basket ball. His favorite reading after his professional books is history.

On June 16^ 1916, Dr. Curtis was married to Miss Helen Gordon of Washington. They have an elegant home on U St. N. MV. and are prominent in the social life of the city.

Dr. Curtis is of the opinion that the greatest single need of the race is education. He takes an interest in all matters re- lating to the progress of the race and is a member of the N.A.A.C.P.