Abstract
The Thunderbird Hotel Records are comprised of material that documents the work of the Las Vegas, Nevada hotel's entertainment department from 1964 to 1973. The records consist of photographs, memorandum, newspaper clippings, and publicity materials.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Thunderbird Hotel Records are comprised of material that documents the work of the Las Vegas, Nevada hotel's entertainment department from 1964 to 1973. The records consist of photographs, memorandum, newspaper clippings, and publicity materials.
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 are organized by show name and then alphabetically by the type of material. Headliners are listed alphabetically by surname.
Biographical / Historical Note
The Thunderbird Hotel and Casino opened on September 2, 1948 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was the fourth resort constructed on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel, which took its name from a Navajo legend, was founded by developer Marion Hicks and Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, Clifford A. Jones. The exterior of the hotel contained a stylized thunderbird, while its interior was characterized by Native American themed decor. In 1964 the property was sold to Del Webb, and in 1972 to Caesars World. After the hotel was sold to the owner of the Dunes Hotel in 1977, it was briefly known as the Silverbird Hotel. Five years later, the hotel was purchased by Ed Torres, owner of the Aladdin Hotel, and renamed the El Rancho Casino in an homage to the very first resort to open on the Strip.
The Thunderbird hosted a number of noted entertainers and production shows over the years. It had the distinction of being the resort that saw the Las Vegas debuts of both Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney, and was the showroom where Judy Garland made her final Las Vegas appearance in 1965.
On July 6, 1992, the El Rancho Casino resort permanently closed its doors. For eight years the property remained vacant. In 2000 the land was purchased by Turnberry Associates, and on October 3, 2000 the old resort was imploded.
For a detailed history of the Thunderbird, see George Stamos' profile of the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in the
Preferred Citation
Thunderbird Hotel Records, 1964-1973. MS-00180. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
These materials were donated in 1976 by the Entertainment Department of the Thunderbird Hotel via Jim Seagrave; accession number T-100.
Processing Note
Material was processed by Joyce Moore in 2011. In 2014, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Dallas Reiber revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. Subsequently Dallas Reiber entered the data into ArchivesSpace.