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Transcript of interview with Walter P. Casey, Jr. by Claytee D. White, November 15, 2004 and January 13, 2005

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Download OH_00348_book_o.pdf (application/pdf; 32.16 MB)

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Date

2004-11-15
2005-01-13

Description

Walter P. Casey Jr. was born in Plandora, California, which is located in the Imperial Valley at the Southeastern tip of the California Mexico border. Walter grew up living on the farm where his father grew crops like wheat and alfalfa. In 1942 Walter graduated from the University of California Brawly, and then went on to attend Berkeley for four years. Upon completion, he went on to become a flight navigator for Pan American World Airways during World War II. During the war, the U.S. Navy contracted flight navigators for transporting services. Once Walter was finished with the Navy, he went on to work for United Airlines where he was to find business for their air freight service. In 1951, after doing that for a few years, Walter decided to move his family to Las Vegas. Walter describes Las Vegas back when there were only 50,000 people. He tells of the vibrant environment in the valley and describes some of the casinos that were around in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954 Walter started his own business with a $6,000 loan from the Bank of Las Vegas. He personally ran the water softening business for almost forty-five years before handing it down to his son. Walter also talks about his involvement in politics. He was the chair of the Republican Party in the state of Nevada, and he also did some lobbying for the National Association of Manufactures. Towards the end of the interview Walter reflects on his marvelous life in Las Vegas and comments on the water situation in the valley today.

Digital ID

OH_00348_book
    Details

    Citation

    Walter Casey oral history interview, 2004 November 14, 2005 January 15. OH-00348. [Transcript]. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1jh3h52j

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    Standardized Rights Statement

    Language

    English

    Format

    application/pdf

    An Interview with Walter P. Casey, Jr. An Oral History Conducted by Claytee D. White The Boyer Las Vegas Early History Project Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas © The Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral