Lee Gray has been in Las Vegas since the 1950's. His father moved here in 1943, worked several jobs to save money, and then sent for his brother. He bought land, had his brother build a home on the property, and then sent for his wife and children. The whole family lived on the west side, and Gray's father and mother worked several jobs to provide for the large family. He has fond memories of the many youth organizations in which he and his brothers and sisters were involved.

When Fernando Romero (b 1946) started school as a Spanish-only speaker in the barrios of El Paso, Texas, he quickly picked up English, excelled in classes, and proudly claims his Chicano identity. Education came with good and bad teachers, the bad believing they were entitled to pick on the brown-skinned children. These were early lessons for Fernando, who describes his harsher lessons would come when he enrolled at Nevada Southern (known as UNLV today.)

Gertrude Rudiak was born August 2, 1915 in North Dakota to Russian immigrants. She grew up in Wisconsin until 1924. That year, her family drove to California via the Yellowstone Trail. Her father had a chiropractic practice in Los Angeles, California. After Rudiak earned a music degree at the University of California at Berkeley, she attended a business college, and she got a job as a social worker in northern California.

The Governor’s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust was established by the Nevada Legislature in 1989 under Nevada Revised Statute 233G. The duties of the Council are to develop educational programs for children and adults on issues related to the Holocaust, to create reports, and to advise public and private bodies throughout Nevada on Holocaust education. It is also responsible for its own fundraising, although some money is allocated by the legislature. The Council consists of eleven members appointed by the governor.