Abstract
The Benedict Family Papers materials date from roughly 1905-1998 and are comprised of correspondence and letters (1969-1971) written to Howard Hughes by the public. The collection also contains correspondence written to Robert Maheu, former chief executive of Nevada operations for Howard Hughes. The collection also includes a variety of casino and gambling related product catalogs, gaming guides for Las Vegas casinos, and of research papers and reports primarily relating to sports betting and cheating.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The Benedict Family Papers materials date from roughly 1905-1998 and are comprised of correspondence and letters (1969-1971) written to Howard Hughes by the public. The collection also contains correspondence written to Robert Maheu, former chief executive of Nevada operations for Howard Hughes. The collection also includes a variety of casino and gambling related product catalogs, gaming guides for Las Vegas casinos, and of research papers and reports primarily relating to sports betting and cheating.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
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 remain in the order they were received.
Biographical / Historical Note
Alvin "Al" Benedict (October 15, 1923-June 7, 2014) was a casino executive in Las Vegas, Nevada from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and arrived in Las Vegas in 1952. He was the general manager of the Silver Slipper and the Last Frontier casinos. In the mid-1950s, Benedict left the Last Frontier to open the Stardust and in the 1960s he served as director of resort operations for Nevada properties owned by Howard Hughes. Benedict joined Kirk Kerkorian and his team to open the first incarnations of the MGM Grand in both Reno, Nevada and Las Vegas during the 1970s. He served as president of both hotels and on the board of directors of MGM Studios. He retired from MGM in 1985, and briefly served as president of the Sands Hotel for seven months in 1990.
Benedict was co-founder of the Nathan Adelson Hospice, along with Merv Adelson and Irwin Molasky, and served as its chairman and as board member emeritus. From 1969 to 1970 he served as president of the Combined Jewish Appeal, now known as the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. Benedict also served as president of the Nevada Resort Association and as a past member of the Nevada Gaming Policy Commission. He was involved with numerous charitable and community organizations, including the Variety Club International Tent No. 1039, the Boys Club of Clark County, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Al Benedict's son, Blaine Benedict, was born in 1948 in Philadelphia. He had his religious education and bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Sholom and graduated from Las Vegas High School. Blaine Benedict attended Rutgers University, served in the US Army, and lived on a kibbutz in Israel before returning to live in Las Vegas in the mid-1970s. He attended dealer's school and eventually became a casino manager for Binion's Horseshoe. As of 2018 Blaine Benedict serves as the operations director of Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association.
Sources:
"Alvin Benedict." Las Vegas Review-Journal. Accessed February 8, 2016. http://obits.reviewjournal.com/obituaries/lvrj/obituary.aspx?pid=171290998.
Benedict, Blaine. Interview, 2015 November 12. OH-02520. Transcript. Oral History Research Center. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Univeristy of Las Vegas Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Preferred Citation
Benedict Family Papers, 1905-1998. MS-00821. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Permalink
Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2016 and 2017 by Blaine Benedict; accession numbers 2016-063, 2017-139.
Processing Note
The collection was minimally processed by Tammi Kim in 2016 and 2018 at the time of accessioning. The materials were quickly reviewed to provide a general description of the contents of each box and an estimate of dates represented in the material. Loose papers were foldered. No further work was performed on the materials.
Subjects
Administrative Information
Resource Type
Collection Type
EAD ID
Separated Materials
Some publications that were acquired as part of this collection have been separated and described individually in University Libraries' catalog.
Additions
Further additions are anticipated.