Abstract
The Betty Ham Dokter Photographs depict the Ham Family from 1850 to 1976. The materials include photographs of the family after they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1916 and document the early growth of the city. The materials also include photographs of the Colorado River, the Hoover (Boulder) Dam site before and after its construction, dinner parties, family photographs, and citizens of the Las Vegas area. The materials also include photographs of Alta Mereness Ham, Betty Ham Dokter's mother, on the set of the film Water.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Betty Ham Dokter Photographs depict the Ham Family from 1850 to 1976. The materials include photographs of the family after they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1916 and document the early growth of the city. The materials also include photographs of the Colorado River, the Hoover (Boulder) Dam site before and after its construction, dinner parties, family photographs, and citizens of the Las Vegas area. The materials also include photographs of Alta Mereness Ham, Betty Ham Dokter's mother, on the set of the film Water.
Access Note
Collection is open for research. Some collection material has been digitized and is available online.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials are roughly arranged by subject.
Biographical / Historical Note
Artemus W. "Art" Ham, Sr. (1892-1970) and Alta Mereness Ham (1896-1974) married in 1915 in Los Angeles, California. The couple moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1916. Artemus W. Ham worked as an attorney and specialized in mining law when they first moved to Southern Nevada. They had three children in Las Vegas; Artemus W. Ham, Jr. in 1920, Betty Katherine Ham in 1922, and Robert Ham in 1927. The Ham family lived at 1000 Sixth Street in Las Vegas.
From 1924 to 1928, Ham served as the Las Vegas City Attorney. In the 1930s and 1940s, he became well-known as a divorce attorney for Hollywood celebrities seeking Nevada divorces. He and his wife, Alta, were very active in the Las Vegas community. She was a cofounder of the Mesquite Club, and Artemus W. Ham, Sr. was one of the founding members of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. They were also strong supporters of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Artemus W. Ham Sr. passed away on May 25, 1970 and Alta Ham passed away on April 23, 1974.
Artemus W. Ham, Jr. (1920-1991) joined his father's law practice and later went into real estate. He continued the family tradition of philanthropy. Betty Katherine Ham Dokter (1922-1990) married Derald Dokter on February 23, 1942. She lived her entire life in Las Vegas. She passed away on May 11, 1990. Robert C. Ham (1927-1987) lived in Las Vegas, and passed away in 1987.
Preferred Citation
Betty Ham Dokter Photograph Collection, 1850-1976. PH-00012. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1976, 1978, and 1979 by Betty Ham Dokter; accession numbers 1976-93, -31, 1978-39.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Lindsay Oden wrote the collection description in compliance with current professional standards.