Lafayette Alonzo Tillman was born 15 March 1858, in Evansville, Indiana, to Thomas and Harriet Tillman, and would go on to become one of the exceptional Black leaders in Kansas City by the turn of the twentieth century. His legacy is mostly known has one of the first African American citizens to be appointed to the Kansas City police force. Tillman was a pillar of the community operating a barber shop, providing legal services and managing a restaurant.

After graduating from public schools, he entered the progressive Oberlin College (near Cleveland, Ohio), one of the first U.S. colleges to admit persons of color and women, and well known as a center for antislavery activities. Tillman continued his studies at the Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C.

A proficient bass singer, Tillman traveled extensively with the New Orleans University singers and later with the Don Tennesseans, a group that performed in the White House. He performed in Kansas City in 1880 and opened a restaurant here in 1881.

Tillman married Amy Lucia Dodds and started a family at 17th Street and Lydia Avenue and worked as a barber downtown. He opened his six-chair barbershop for white patrons at 12th and Grand in 1889. In his spare time Tillman studied law was commissioned as a Notary Public in 1894. He enrolled in the Kansas City School of Law in 1896 but left to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898, reaching the rank of Quarter-Master Sergeant in Company “K” of the 7th Regiment of the United States Volunteers.

After returning home, he was appointed by President William McKinley as a First Lieutenant in the Philippines with the Forty-Ninth Volunteer Infantry. After serving for two years in Luzon, Tillman returned permanently to Kansas City. In appreciation of his patriotic service, a group of prominent white citizens secured a position for him on the police force.

Tillman served as a Kansas City’s third Black police officer, after William F. Davis and Robert Alexander, until his death from an intestinal disease on 3 October 1914. He was buried in Highland Cemetery. He was survived by a son and two daughters who also took up successful careers. His son, L. M. Tillman, went on to serve as a medical doctor at Wheatley-Provident Hospital, which was the first hospital in Kansas City to cater specifically to Black patients. His daughters became schoolteachers in Kansas City and in Tipton, Missouri.

Upon his death in 1914, he was one of the oldest (at 56) policemen serving on the force. He was buried with full military honors suitable to his service to his city and country. It was rare for a Black person to be hired for such a position before World War I. By 1920, although the city had about 10,000 Black residents, with only 11 police officers, one detective, and one fireman of African descent.

According to Dr. Pellom McDaniels III, “There can be no doubt that Lafayette Alonzo Tillman’s life was filled with individual success and achievements. Through the Tillman Collection (at the Kansas City Museum on 3218 Gladstone Blvd.) we can see a shining example of manhood, citizenship and patriotism at one time believed impossible to achieve by African American men.”

After graduating from public schools, he entered the progressive Oberlin College (near Cleveland, Ohio), one of the first U.S. colleges to admit persons of color and women, and well known as a center for antislavery activities. Tillman continued his studies at the Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C.

A proficient bass singer, Tillman traveled extensively with the New Orleans University singers and later with the Don Tennesseans, a group that performed in the White House. He performed in Kansas City in 1880 and opened a restaurant here in 1881.

Tillman married Amy Lucia Dodds and started a family at 17th Street and Lydia Avenue and worked as a barber downtown. He opened his six-chair barbershop for white patrons at 12th and Grand in 1889. In his spare time Tillman studied law was commissioned as a Notary Public in 1894. He enrolled in the Kansas City School of Law in 1896 but left to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898, reaching the rank of Quarter-Master Sergeant in Company “K” of the 7th Regiment of the United States Volunteers.

After returning home, he was appointed by President William McKinley as a First Lieutenant in the Philippines with the Forty-Ninth Volunteer Infantry. After serving for two years in Luzon, Tillman returned permanently to Kansas City. In appreciation of his patriotic service, a group of prominent white citizens secured a position for him on the police force.

Tillman served as a Kansas City’s third Black police officer, after William F. Davis and Robert Alexander, until his death from an intestinal disease on 3 October 1914. He was buried in Highland Cemetery. He was survived by a son and two daughters who also took up successful careers. His son, L. M. Tillman, went on to serve as a medical doctor at Wheatley-Provident Hospital, which was the first hospital in Kansas City to cater specifically to Black patients. His daughters became schoolteachers in Kansas City and in Tipton, Missouri.

Upon his death in 1914, he was one of the oldest (at 56) policemen serving on the force. He was buried with full military honors suitable to his service to his city and country. It was rare for a Black person to be hired for such a position before World War I. By 1920, although the city had about 10,000 Black residents, with only 11 police officers, one detective, and one fireman of African descent.

According to Dr. Pellom McDaniels III, “There can be no doubt that Lafayette Alonzo Tillman’s life was filled with individual success and achievements. Through the Tillman Collection (at the Kansas City Museum on 3218 Gladstone Blvd.) we can see a shining example of manhood, citizenship and patriotism at one time believed impossible to achieve by African American men.”