James A. Gay III was born March 6th, 1916 in Fordyce, Arkansas. Arriving in 1946, Gay became the first African-American mortician in Las Vegas. He later worked as Assistant Manager of the Sands Hotel and Casino and Union Plaza while serving as an executive board member of the Culinary Union. Instrumental in the Las Vegas community, Gay worked to improved race relations, addressing social, economic, and civic issues. Gay was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1988.
Person
Katherine Duncan was born in Ratio, Arkansas. Her parents, who were sharecroppers, and her 11 brothers and sister migrated to Boston in the winter of 1969. She moved to Las Vegas on July 7th, 1977 and started working at the MGM Grand Hotel. She also worked with the Nevada Motion Picture Services, at her own travel agency, and at the Riviera Resort and Casino. She started a black heritage tour of Las Vegas.
Person