Between 1943 and 1947, during World War II, Curtis served in the United States Navy.
Following the end of his military service, Curtis settled in the city of Cherokee with his wife Emily Ericksen, a Holstein native he had married in 1935.
[1] Curtis served on the Cherokee city council for five years prior to his election to the state legislature.
In November 1970, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, and was seated from the 25th district.
Curtis sought the 3rd district seat in the Iowa Senate during the next election cycle, and won.