The Ricks

This portrait of Ulysses and Gloria Ricks was taken by George Scurlock, just after Ulysses returned home from war in June 1944. Drafted into military service in 1941, he left his wife Gloria for the Pacific theater just two months after their marriage. The Ricks and Scurlock families knew each other well. Ulysses was a childhood friend of George Scurlock. Their family homes were both in the 1200 block of T Street, NW, Washington, DC. Husband and wife both looked quite comfortable in front of the camera. They were expecting their first child later that year, and truly just starting their married life and professional careers.

Both Gloria and Ulysees were college educated. She attended Miner Teacher’s College, though not to become a teacher. Gloria worked at Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, and was one of the first eight African Americans to integrate the company. Ulysses attended The Catholic University and later the Department of Agriculture Graduate School. Now retired, Ulysses was a trained librarian, and longtime employee of the Library of Congress. And after 67 years of marriage, Gloria still boasts of her beloved Ulysses, their son, and their travels around the world.

Sources: Michelle Delaney: National Museum of American History Kenneth E Behring Center; George Scurlock, Photographer