Transcript of interview with Beverly J. Britton by Jeff Neher, February 26, 1979

UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 1 Interview with Beverly J. Britton An Oral History Conducted by Jeff Neher Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas Special Collections Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 2 The Oral History Research Center (OHRC) was formally established by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada System in September 2003 as an entity of the UNLV University Libraries’ Special Collections Division. The OHRC conducts oral interviews with individuals who are selected for their ability to provide first-hand observations on a variety of historical topics in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. The OHRC is also home to legacy oral history interviews conducted prior to its establishment including many conducted by UNLV History Professor Ralph Roske and his students. This legacy interview transcript received minimal editing, such as the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. The interviewee/narrator was not involved in the editing process. UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 3 Abstract Jeff Neher interviews accountant Beverly J. Britton at her apartment in Las Vegas, Nevada. Born September 29th, 1949 in Vernon, Texas, Britton relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1995. During the interview Britton offers an overview of life in the Las Vegas area from 1955 to 1979. UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 4 ‘Kay. My name is Jeff Neher. And this is an Oral History project that we’re doing for the History of Nevada. And I’m sitting with Beverly. She’s gonna give me her full name and her present address. Which is? Beverly J. Britton, 5100 O’Bannon Drive, Number 119, Las Vegas. ‘Kay, Beverly, could you tell us where you were born? I was born in Vernon, Texas. And the date? If you don’t mind. (Laughs) September the 29th, 1949. Tell us a little bit about if you remember anything from Texas. Only thing I remember about Texas, as I left when I was very young, it was very cold, very dry, and I didn’t like it. (Laughs) You like the climate here better? I love it. Warmer here than Texas? And it’s much dryer. Excuse me, it’s much dryer. It’s warmer longer. Just appeals to me more. I like the desert climate. Could you give us a little background on your family? Why you came? Why they came to the Las Vegas area? Well, we actually came on a fluke. We went on vacation one year to see my father’s sister in Sacramento, and my folks made hotel reservations here at the Riviera. And then they fell in love with it and we were back here the next summer, and we been here ever since. What was your father’s occupation at the time? UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 5 My father at the time was in the civil service and he came here and went to work for, Mercury, out at Mercury for the Nevada test site. Is he still employed there? No. He had a back injury about four or five years ago. And he now is working for a similar type firm that’s also out at the Test Site. But he’s working in town locally at a place called (Unintelligible). So, you were how old when you got here? Six, almost seven. So, you started into grade school when you came here? Mm-hmm. What were—you remember much about your grade school here? Not really. (Laughs) Except that we were right Downtown in this area where we are right now. I guess, the basic thing I remember the most was the fact that it was the first time I’d ever gone to school with blacks. What were the names of the schools? I do not remember the name of the elementary school. I went to junior high school first year at Roy Martin Junior High School. Second year we moved, my folks bought a house on the other side of town. I went to 8th grade to R.O. Gibson. Ninth grade, I moved to a new school, Garside Junior High School. And then I went to high school at Ed W. Clarke High School. What year did you graduate? 1968. How many homes have you had in this area? UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 6 We lived in two places prior to my folks buying the house that they currently lived in now—that they’ve been in 17 years. Any specific illnesses in your family you can recall? Any significant? In the immediate family? No. Lucky family. Yes. (Laughs) Fortunately. No hospitalizations or anything like that? Besides your father’s injury you mentioned. No, not really. He was just unable then to lift certain weights, which was part of the job. He was supply clerk out at the Test Site—other than that, none whatsoever. After you graduated high school you went to college? Yes. I did. I went— Where did you go? Northern Arizona University of Flagstaff. What did you study there? Data Processing. You say now you’re an accountant? Is that right? Mm-hmm. Where do you work now? NAI Properties. How long have you been there? Just about two years. Did you work anywhere before that? UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 7 Prior to that, I worked for the Las Vegas Conventions Services, a Division of (Unintelligible) Corporation, right here, locally. What did you do for them, anything specific? I was a junior programmer. Also in data processing? Mm-hmm. You married? No, divorced. Were you married—you were married in this area, Southern Nevada? Right here in Las Vegas. Mm-hmm. Were you, or are you active in politics in Southern Nevada? (Laughs) I’m opinionated on politics, I’m not active. (Laughs) Belong to any social clubs or special interest groups? No. I probably, a very little known fact, I do volunteer work for the hospital, occasionally, when I have time. But I haven’t done it in quite some time. Has gambling been an important recreational activity for you or members of your family? My brother is a dealer. Where at? At the MGM Grand, he’s been a dealer ever since he was old enough. I am a licensed dealer, also, and enjoy playing the game very much. I play it whenever I got the money. (Laughs) (Laughs) What other kinds of recreation do you enjoy? I like—I love sports. I’m not so much of a participant. But I do like to dance. I like water sports. And I snow ski when I can. UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 8 What changes have you noticed in Southern Nevada economics since you’ve been here? Well, for the business I worked for prior to working where I am now, was a convention business, which served the core of the Las Vegas area. I would say as far as conventions and bringing in the money in this town, in the three-and-a-half to four years that I worked there, I would say economically it is done a lot through Southern Nevada, dollar wise. But I would say in my own opinion, ecology wise, I think it’s hindered it greatly. The town is growing far faster than I think it’s able at this time to support it. There’s not enough, other than the gaming industry to keep all the people employed without bringing in outside industry that nobody wants. They don’t want it, I don’t think. I don’t, as in the Levi Strauss or a large factory or something of that nature. They, when we first got here, they didn’t have any of it, at all—we start picking up little by little. And they really don’t have the facilities, I don’t think, to support it, not yet. The town is just growing in population faster than the town can support it in jobs. Most of these peoples are employed in gambling area, right, or—either directly or closely? A good percentage of them, yes, a good percentage of them, I think. As more businesses are coming into the town, like they’ve got a lot of California chains of supermarkets and department stores that have come in in the last five years that nobody ever heard of. They bring in people because of the names of the stores. Some that they’re currently building out there now that are Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus. I mean nobody ever come to Las Vegas to shop. They come to gamble and have fun. Now all of a sudden, they’re coming for other things. They come when they shop, so they’re trying to provide, I think, the frills in excess of the gambling. (Laughs) Because they just can’t, they just can’t keep the people going constantly at gambling. They gotta give them something else. And there’s more money, there’s more people with money moving UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 9 here to stay, retired people, movie stars, directors. They bring their money and they stay here, so they gotta have the prestige shops. So, that just brings in more people. Tell me a few key points in your life time where you feel where significant changes are happening—going to college would seem to be one. Yes. That definitely was one because once you live in Las Vegas and go somewhere else that’s, if you like Las Vegas as well as I do, that’s what you miss the most, is the town. It’s not necessarily your family. I mean, you miss your family, but you really miss this town being wide open 24 hours a day for anything. You find other towns soon to be extremely boring. I would say that probably was the first big one and of course I got married and then I got divorced and lately nothing as exciting as that one. (Laughs) I can’t think of anything. You have any specific aspirations or goals at this time? Yes. If it doesn’t go any further I would like to own the company I work for. Hm. That’s a nice aspiration. (Laughs) I don’t think my boss would think so. (Laughs) What do you think of the people in general in the Las Vegas area, compared to say, when you been into Europe, you told me? Compared to a European, let’s say. Well, I personally don’t like Europe. I don’t like Europe as about as much as I don’t like the east coast. As far as what parts of Europe were you in? I was in England, France, spent the biggest part of the time in Italy, Switzerland. Other than Italy, I was only in the other places maybe three or four days a piece. I spent the biggest part of the time in Italy. I find, regardless to what most people say, I find the American people UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 10 friendlier, more truthful, and they would at least got an opinion. Whether it’s the current thought or not, they’ve at least got one. Hm. Have you noticed any social changes in the area from the time you first arrived to the present day? Most of the social changes, I don’t think, even affected me until I, last couple years of junior high and high school. In high school at one particular point ’66 and ’67, there was a lot of racial problems here in Las Vegas. They begin bussing all over town, which raised a lot of problems. They begin dividing up school districts, much to the dissatisfaction of most parents. I think that was probably as far as social affects, they had a couple of unsolved fires and bombings on the Westside and down on the Strip. A lot of problems with, I think, basically the race. Other than that, I don’t think there’s been any big—there’s too many transients in this town to have that big of a social problem. They command, they create a small problem, they’re gone. Very few people come into the town, I would think, and actually stay longer than five years. Most people are totally transient, in considering. And either can’t make it in the gaming industry and that’s what they came for after a while they leave. Well, that’s all the questions I have actually. Anything you’d like to add? No. No? Thank you for your time. You’re welcome. One more thing. If, I got it written down here somewhere. Would you be willing to participate in a longer interview if requested? Guess it wasn’t so hard, I guess. (Laughs) (Laughs) UNLV University Libraries Beverly J. Britton 11 I guess so. Thank you very much! (Tape ends)