Transcript of interview with Dr. Holbert H. Hendrix by Keith Thomas, February 20, 1979

UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix i An Interview with Dr. Robert Hendrix An Oral History Conducted by Thomas Keith Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas Special Collections and Archives Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix ii © Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2018 UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix iii 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 Dr. Holbert Hendrix iv Abstract On February 20, 1979, Keith Thomas interviewed Dr. Holbert H. Hendrix (born 1914 in French Lick, Indiana) about his life in early Las Vegas, Nevada. The interview takes place at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Room 312 of the Education Building. Dr. Hendrix first discusses his personal background and interests, as well as his occupational background in teaching. The two discuss changes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, including construction, when the university began awarding degrees, and Dr. Hendrix’s reasons for moving to Las Vegas. Dr. Hendrix then describes changes to the Strip and how the hotel industry has changed since he first arrived in Nevada. The two briefly discuss how problems with prostitution may have increased since Dr. Hendrix arrived in Nevada. The interview concludes with Dr. Hendrix contemplating new problems that may arise in Las Vegas as a result of an expected population boom and his hopes that the Nevada state government would invest more into funding for education. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 1 Good afternoon, I’m Keith Thomas and today I’m at one P.M., February twentieth, 1979, inside the teacher education building at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, I’m going to be talking with Dr. Holbert H. Hendrix. Dr. Hendrix, first of all, I’d like to know, when and where you were born. I was born in French Lick, Indiana, November, the twenty-third, 1914. Did you come from a very big family? There were four children in my family. And were you the oldest or youngest? In the middle. Right in the middle. Could you tell us a little bit about your educational background? Well, I went to grade school in French Lick Township. I attended French Lick High School and graduated in 1932. I attended Indiana University. What major did you choose? Education. Why did you choose that particular major? Well, I knew a lot of people who had been teachers. My father had been a teacher at one time in his life. So I chose teaching. Okay. While you were in school, what awards or honors have your received, if any? (Laughs). (Laughs) In school? Right. Are you speaking now of elementary, grade school, or college, or what? Right, high school, elementary, college, sure— UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 2 Well, in college, I was amongst those who were honored at Founder’s Day Convocation at Indiana University. Could you—? And I was chosen to be a member of Phi Delta Kappa fraternity—a professional educational fraternity, which at that time, was based upon scholarship and promise in the field of education. Can you remember what your first job was out of college? Ah yes, I taught in a two-room country school, grades five through eighth. What city? It was in the country (laughs). It was in French Lick Township in Indiana. Were you married at that time? No. When did you get married? 1950. 19—And how long have you been married? That would be—? (Laughs.) That would be 28 years? Something like that. (Laughs). Okay, are you involved in any church or community organizations? At the current time, no. Have you ever been? Oh, off and on. In what capacity? Oh as a participant, and as an interested community person. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 3 Are you active politics—mainly speaking of Nevada? I vote. You voted? (Laughs.) Do you vote strictly democratic, or republican, or split ticket? That’s a foolish question (laughs). Probably have never voted a straight ticket in my life. Okay. What hobbies or interests do you enjoy most? What takes up most of your leisure time? (Laughs.) What leisure time? Oh, I like to get out in the desert. I enjoy swimming, I like to play golf—I like to read (laughs). Do you enjoy any television? Oh, I watch some television. Now you made a remark about “what leisure time,” does this mean that you don’t have much time? Does work keep you mainly busy here? Well, various things keep me busy, including the work. What other—? Work sure does. What other types of things keep you busy? Oh, you get involved in projects like the study of certain things and writing papers about certain things. For example, I worked on a project on Middle School—teacher court. I also worked on a project to assess the needs of teachers in reading or the right to read to people. When you do a lot of things like that it takes a lot of time. We all set goals in life. What goals have you achieved? Well, I suppose I’ve achieved most of the goals that I set to one degree or another. Originally of course my goal was to teach school, and I taught school. Subsequently, my goal was to be a UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 4 school administrator, namely a principal, and I’ve been a principal. I felt that getting into teacher education was a challenge. A profession that would utilize my background of training and experience, even though not necessarily not a better paying one. And I’ve gotten into teacher education in several different ways: beginning first, with teaching children in a campus school called “demonstration teaching.” I did demonstration teaching for college classes at Iowa State Teacher’s College. Subsequent to that, I’ve gotten into working with college students who are planning to teach school. What goals haven’t you achieved that you would like to in the near future? (Laughs). Probably the goals that I haven’t achieved, I won’t achieve. (Laughs). And what are they? Well, in college work, you’re always pressured to write and to produce and this sort of thing. And I haven’t written much and produced much. I wouldn’t anticipate that I would do much of that. Would you have liked to have written more in college? In my particular case it was practically impossible to do all the tasks that you had to do on the job. All the varied tasks, and at the same time, write for example, books. So I never got involved too—in the field of education, a person should probably do some research. By that, I mean some experimental studies and things of that nature, particularly if you’re going to write about it. In college, teaching, particularly at the University of Nevada, in the early years, you wore so many hats and taught so many different courses that you were kept busy just preparing for the courses. Well what college did you graduate from? Indiana University for my Bachelor’s degree and my Master’s degree. And the state University of Iowa for my PhD. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 5 If you could do your whole life over again, what would you change? (Laughs). I probably wouldn’t change anything. Are you that satisfied with current way—? No, not necessarily satisfied, but I’m not dissatisfied either. There wouldn’t be anything at all that you would change. Oh, the things that I would change I had no control over, as far as bringing about the change. You’re satisfied with the career that you have right now? Yes. Okay, thank you Dr. Hendrix. And now I’d like to get into your job at the University of Nevada here. First of all, let’s start out with, when did you first start teaching here? In September of 1956. And in what capacity? I came in as an Associate Professor of Education. When I was recruited, I could’ve gone to Reno or here. What made you choose—? And I chose Las Vegas because there was no university here to speak of (laughs). And I felt that there were greater opportunities here, since the University of Nevada up at Reno was an older school. So I was a pioneer; I was interested in helping build a university. When did you first start teaching? In what year, and in what place? I started teaching in 1936 in French Lick Township, Indiana, (Unintelligible). Okay. Have there been other universities or junior colleges that you have taught in other than University of Nevada, Las Vegas? UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 6 Oh yes, I’ve taught at Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, which is now Northern Iowa University. I taught there for a couple of years in the campus school. I taught at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, as an Associate’s Professor of Education immediately before coming here from 1954 to 1956. Out of all these institutions, which one did you like the best? I liked them all. Is there a favorite? (Laughs). I think it would be safe to say that they’re all favorites. The reason that I left Iowa State Teacher’s College was to get my doctorate degree. The reason I left Ohio University was to accept the challenge and do a little pioneering out this way. Ohio University is the oldest state supported college or university west of the Appalachia’s. And it had been there a long, long time—older than Ohio State University. But I thought it would be interesting to come west. And you arrived to University of Nevada, Las Vegas in what year? 1956. 1956. How has the University of Nevada changed over those years? Oh that would take quite a while to tell, but I’ll try to tell you something. When I came to University of Nevada, it was not really a campus yet. The university owned some land, but had no buildings. The eight people who joined the staff at the time I did had their offices in Las Vegas High School auditorium and taught their classes in Las Vegas High School, the Baptist Church Annex, I think even a chemistry class at Rancho High School which opened about that year. The university opened owned some land where the campus is now, but there were no buildings. The first building opened in the summer of 1957 and that is Frazier Hall. So everybody who’s housed in the Las Vegas High School moved out to Frazier Hall. All the UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 7 faculty had their office in one room; the library took up one room, the registrar and admissions office, and the director of what was called the Southern Regional Division of the University of Nevada, had their offices also in one room. Then there were a few classrooms around, not many. Some of the classes of course, even at that time, were still held in Las Vegas High School. At least the first year. And the following summer, 1958, the second building opened, which was Grant Hall. So at that time, some of us moved over into Grant Hall and had more room, and or course, added more faculty. How many majors did they have at the beginning? The colleges? We did not give a degree in the beginning. You did not give a degree? When did—? The students had to go to Reno if they wanted to complete the degree requirements. Was this like a two-year—? Well, not necessarily two-year, because we gave some upper division and even a few graduate classes. But to get your degree, you had to go to the University of Nevada in Reno? Yes, there was no degree given here ‘till the mid-1960s. I forgotten exactly whether it was ’64 or ’65 when they started giving bachelor’s degrees then. But to that point, there were no degrees given here. So they went from no degrees given back in ’56 to how many colleges do they have—majors, approximately? I don’t know the number of— Do you remember the first major you could achieve here? UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 8 Well, in Education you could major in Elementary Education, you could major in certain fields in Secondary Education. In the beginning, I think that was about it. I’m not sure of all those fields in secondary. How many students would you say we had here when we first started out? When we first started out? Probably forty or fifty, maybe more than that, but they were all part time students. Nobody was a full time student. Outside of your awards in school, what honors have you received from your occupation? What? What honors or awards have you received from your work here? Oh, I suppose some of these would be considered honors. Over the years I’ve served as, supposed you might say chairman of education and physical education. Subsequently, department chair of them. After we had colleges, I’ve never served as a dean. I suppose some of the honors in a way, would be, I was listed in “Who’s Who in the West,” for several years (laughs). I was also chosen to direct the first teacher corps project in Nevada. What year was that? That was in 1971. It was a two-year project from ’71 to ’73. Let’s see, I was institutional representative to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for a great number of years, and I still am. I have served on national committees of associations for student teaching, which now, is the Association for Teacher Educators. I suppose, in a way, those are honors—those are samples. There’s a great many of them. Now, getting back to your instruction, what was the most embarrassing moment while instructing a class? I know there’s ‘gonna be a few, but which UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 9 one stands out in your mind as the most embarrassing? We all have our little slip-ups now and then (laughs). Teachers are human (laughs). Oh, I suppose—I used to teach methods of teaching science—elementary school science. I was going to use a guitar to illustrate some points about vibrations, sound, and I discovered that somebody had stolen the guitar when I started to demonstrate. I suppose that was an embarrassing moment. Okay, are you going to finish your career here at University of Nevada, Las Vegas? Or do you see a change in the near future? Oh, I’ll retire in a couple of years. You will retire in a couple of years? Where will you—? (Unintelligible) Are you going to go down south or will you stay here? Probably stay here. I’ll visit a lot of places, but I’ll probably keep Las Vegas as my home base. Okay, I would now like to get into the town of Las Vegas and the way it’s changed through your eyes—the way you’ve seen the town of Las Vegas change. Let me first start out by asking, “What was the main reason behind you choosing Las Vegas as your home?” Well, I was at a national elementary principal’s meeting in Denver one time and I met the dean in the college of education from Reno or the head of the elementary department, particularly, from Reno. Later on, the dean of the college of education contacted me at Ohio University and offered me a position. While the money was about the same as I was making, the new situation in Las Vegas was rather intriguing and I felt that I would like to participate in starting a new university. Also, I was interested in the west. I had never lived in the west, and I thought I’d like to see what goes on out here. So I did accept the position, I had my choice of going to the UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 10 University of Reno or coming here. The University of Reno had an old established campus in 1956 while here in Las Vegas the university was just starting, almost. It had a man here, since 1951 or something like that. Dr. Dickenson, James R. Dickenson. But in the 1956 they expanded the faculty by eight positions. Eight of us came at the same time—I believe seven of the eight had their doctorate degree so at that point we probably had one of the best percentage of instructors with a doctorate of any school—a very high percent. I think that’s why I came west, and why I chose this. It was not because I was dissatisfied with Ohio University or any place else. It seems to me that you enjoyed a challenge. That I did. Do you enjoy gambling at the casino? That’s a challenge (Laughs) in a certain type of way. (Laughs). Oh, I think everybody enjoys gambling a little, yes. Which is your favorite game? I don’t gamble that much of course. Teachers don’t make that much, you know? Oh, I’ve played “21” the most of the table games. Otherwise, I play the slot machines a little. I don’t particularly like to play the slot machines. Does your wife—? I do like “21.” Does your wife enjoy gambling? Does she like to take a chance? Oh yes, she will put a – coins in a slot machine. I don’t know that she – well, yes, she’s played a little out of the table games. She’s played “21” some and played roulette and some of those a bit, not much. In what way has Downtown Las Vegas changed throughout the years? UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 11 Well, Downtown area has changed considerable since I’ve been in here. For example, the Union Pacific Railroad had depot where the Union Plaza Hotel is—a passenger depot. They had several trains a day that came through here, some of which went to— from Los Angeles to Chicago. They perhaps had a local train that went all the way to Salt Lake City too, but I would guess there must’ve been probably four or five passenger trains a day through here, each way at that time. The Union Pacific originally owned a lot of the land Downtown and when Las Vegas started, they auctioned off lots and this sort of thing. They gave some land to the Clark County School District, which before being a County District was just not a County District but the local Las Vegas District. They gave them some land on which they had to – what they used as an administration building when I came. That building sat where the United States Courthouse is now, on Las Vegas Boulevard South and about, I’ve forgotten the side street, it goes off third. It’s on Las Vegas Boulevard South about three blocks off of Fremont, south of Fremont. Then just south of that building, the old school administration building was the Fifth Street School, which is now used by Clark County Courthouse. Prior to building Las Vegas High School, that old administration building was Las Vegas High School. Subsequently, the school district sold the sum of that land, the land where they administration building sat to the federal government. But when they sold it, they had to get permission from the Union Pacific Railroad because the Union Pacific Railroad had given them this land under the stipulation that as long as they used it for education, it was theirs. Continue this conversation on the other side of the tape. Pick up some of the new property for the new administration building they – (Tape one ends) Dr. Hendrix, we were discussing the administration building in Downtown Las Vegas? UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 12 This of course, was the school administration building. Downtown of course has changed a great deal since I’ve been here. Most of the Downtown hotels that are Downtown now are new. The hotels that were here in 1956 as I recall, the larger ones at least, was the Fremont, and the El Cortez was there. A few blocks off of Fremont there was the (unintelligible) hotel and there were some small hotels around. Since 1956 of course, we’ve had the Mint built, the Union Plaza, the Four Queens, the Holiday Inn are nice, the Californian, probably some that I’ve forgot. But there’s a great deal of change Downtown. The city hall is relatively new, and in a new place. In fact, I’ve forgotten where the old city hall was before the new one was built. Actually, the Downtown section didn’t go out – well didn’t go out much farther than twelfth street or what is now Maryland Parkway. Except for some motels, there are some motels out at the end over there. The Downtown section of course is expanded more recently off of Fremont Street too. Even some of the hotels have been built off of Fremont like the Californian and that Holiday International which is on Main Street. So the Downtown area has changed to the— Yes, through your eyes, how has the “Strip” changed? Well, like Downtown, there have been many hotels that were added since I came. What was the Strip basically comprised of when you first arrived here? What were the major hotels? Okay, the Sahara was there, the Thunderbird—now the Silverbird. The Riviera, the old Desert Inn, the old Frontier. The Hacienda, was the farthest out, and was probably one of the newer ones. Now some of the hotels that have been completed since then was the Stardust, Caesar’s Palace of course, Tropicana – Tropicana opened about the time I came, it was new about that time, maybe a little later. The Dunes was here when I came, I forgot about that one. The Sands was here. But all of those hotels have added high rises or have practically changed like the UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 13 Desert Inn—you could never recognize the Desert Inn now from the Desert Inn then. The Old Frontier was even torn down when the new Frontier was built. The Stardust—somebody started a hotel there. I think the person who was financing it died, and for a while, it was just there; it wasn’t completed. So it was reorganized and became the Stardust and then when they completed it—I don’t even recall what year that was, probably approaching 1960 or something like. The Strip has just added ‘lots of hotels and other things; shopping centers, what have you. Do you think it’s been a positive addition to Las Vegas? Or has it been in your eyes, detrimental to the city’s welfare or good name? I think it’s been helpful as a whole. Any time you have growth there’s both the positive and negative side to that. Probably in the long run, the negative side might be water. As we get additional sources of water when you grow to see a million population like they predict, we could have some problems. However, we haven’t reached that point yet because Nevada was originally allocated more water than they have used out of the Colorado River. In addition, of course—Well one of the big differences, one of them is— When I came to Las Vegas, practically all of their water came from wells. Subsequent to that, with the increase in population, they’ve added pipelines—large pipelines too— to Lake Mead to bring in additional water. They still get a ‘lotta water from wells, but they get a ‘lotta water from Lake Mead also. And the population between 1956 and the present time has at least quadrupled, or maybe more than that. The area is at least four times as large as it was and probably more. That was going to be my next question. I was going to ask you about the residential area. I would like to tell you something about the residential area. Okay. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 14 When I came to town I bought a house in the greater Vegas addition, which is located at Bonanza and Bruce, that general area. The reason I didn’t buy a house up toward the university was simple—there wasn’t any developments being built out towards the university at that time. From what is now Sahara Avenue used to be Francisco Avenue; out Maryland Parkway to the university, there was one house, the rest was desert. Where the Boulevard Mall is now, there was nothing but desert, all the way from Sahara Avenue to out here. The one house was this little nursery school across the way, that was the only between Sahara and the university. Now across from the university, across Maryland Parkway to the southeast there were some apartments there. I forgot the name of those apartments now, but they’re still there. And then farther down Maryland Parkway where some of the shopping is now, there was a motel that catered to – gay divorcees. (Laughs) (Audio cuts off and returns in the middle of conversation) Okay this, this motel was subsequently torn down after they had a fire and a restaurant, then later the whole motel was torn down. But the whole area around the university has grown since 1956; there wasn’t much here at all prior to that, except the land. Do you remember anything about the Old Ranch? Well, the Old Mormon Fort, which was originally built on that Ranch to protect travelers on the Old Spanish trail going from Utah over to California was here when I came here, and is still here, and is just over the Cashman Field area. Cashman Field was owned by the city and the land by the Mormon Fort is, was also all new honestly. So they have kept the Old Fort, the rest of the Ranch of course, is all gone. The old stored ranch was a ranch put in because of the Springs. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 15 Water from the Springs was used for the livestock and used to do a little irrigating, I suppose. But that’s about all I know about the Old Ranch. Can you relay any specific incident that happened at the Old Ranch? The only thing of course there is from what I’ve read. The fact that the Indians came into the Ranch and I suppose that they, the missionaries were trying to convert them and protect them. They probably came in for food and various things like that, but these are just things that I’ve read, like anybody else could read about them. I know of no specific incidents. How about any property as the gravel testing laboratory for Boulder Dam? Have you ever—? No, I don’t know of this, because Boulder Dam was built in the ‘30s and I wasn’t here at that point. So I didn’t know anything (unintelligible) would be hearsay. Getting to a little touchy subject now, I would like to ask you, almost a personal question considering the town of Las Vegas. Do you feel that prostitution in Las Vegas is as big a problem today as it was twenty years ago? I really don’t have the background to answer that. I would doubt if it’s any greater problem now than it was then, since the population is at least four times as great. The percent of people engaged in prostitution may not have changed, I don’t know. I’m sure it was a problem then as now. Of course, prostitution was illegal and had been, I think by state law, illegal in certain larger cities of Las Vegas at least. Someone told me that because of Nellis Air force Base, that Nellis Air force Base preferred that prostitution be outlawed and made illegal. And it has been, ever since I’ve been here. I would say it was a problem then, maybe not a serious problem, but it’s probably a problem now, and maybe not too serious of a problem. I don’t have a lot of data on that. That’s just off the top of my head. UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 16 That makes your wife happy. (Laughs) In your opinion, has Las Vegas, through the changes that you’ve stated, has it changed for the best or for the worse? Oh again, I suppose, it’s all on how you look at it. If a person wanted to live in a small town, it no longer is a small town. I think it’s changed for the better, but we will have some problems. We have some problems now: increasing traffic, and our city planters and county planters in my opinion haven’t planned far enough ahead—haven’t put in as many freeways, north and south and east and west as they should have to take care of traffic now. If this place continues to grow into the million that’s predicted, you’re going to have a lot more traffic problems than you have now, and you have enough of them now. So getting bigger will have some attending problems, certainly. But I think for the economy, for the university, that this growth has been good and desired. In what year are we supposed to reach one million? Well, at least by the year 2000, or maybe the year before that. Oh wow. That’s at least a forecast as I remember it. How has the government and the structure of government changed through your eyes? Oh I suppose that one of the changes has been both in city government and in county government. We’ve gone to professionals, the hiring of professionals to help run the city and the county. A small town at most is ruled by the mayor and the city council. Obviously the mayor and the city council can’t take care of everything anymore. So you do have those professionals that are hired to take care of some of the—and help operate the city government and county government. In the county, of course, you used to have the commission, largely; but now in the UNLV University Libraries Dr. Holbert Hendrix 17 county, as in the city, the commission hires an expert to help with running the county government. So those things have changed. What one law would you want the Nevada government to change? Oh probably would take a series of laws. I’m of course interested in education, and I would like to see laws change in such a way that Nevada would support education more in accordance with their ability to support education. For example, the ability to support education is based upon income per capita or income per family and things of that nature. Now, Nevada’s income per capita ranks very high in the country, often at the top or close to the top. What Nevada actually spends to educate the students and the pupils is not nearly that good—in fact they may rank way down the line, in what they actually spend on education. As compared to some states that do not have the wealth that we have and yet spend a larger proportion of that wealth to support education. I think Nevada would be better off if they passed laws to support education more in line with their ability to support education. All in all then, are you satisfied with the town of Las Vegas? Yes, all in all. Okay, thank you very much Dr. Holbert H. Hendrix for this interview. I appreciate it, and I appreciate you taking time out to talk with me. It’s my pleasure. Thank you again and that concludes our Nevada History Interview.