A decisive day for integrating firemen
July 22, 1954: The Los Angeles Fire Commission voted unanimously to begin racially integrating the fire department.
The commission ordered Fire Chief John Alderson to submit recommendations within six weeks on how black firefighters “could be integrated gradually at stations other than the two at Central Ave. now manned exclusively by Negro firemen,” The Times reported.
“Chief Alderson declined to comment on the commission’s action,” the newspaper said. “Previously he declared that he would retire if his jurisdiction over transfer and assignment of firemen should be taken from him.”
Integration of the department did not, in fact, occur until after Alderson’s retirement. On Feb. 1, 1956, his successor, Chief William Miller, who had been appointed the previous month, transferred eight white firefighters and eight black firefighters into one company.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
