Paulette R. Nelson's life in Las Vegas is a contrast of images. She recalls riding her horse across the wide-open desert, as well as embracing the technological changes that rapidly impacted the UNLV library. Paulette honed her life skills as farm girl growing up just south of Mandan, North Dakota. She attended North Dakota State University. A post-graduation summer as a volunteer in Kenya, sparked an interest in adventure and travel and she enlisted for four years in the U.S. Air Force. Rather than enter as an officer, she opted to be enlisted personnel so that she could receive technical training. In 1981, Paulette migrated to Las Vegas, where she had friends at Nellis Air Force Base. She worked at the Nevada Test Site for the next two years. Then, while looking for a new job so that she could pursue an engineering degree, she was offered a position in the UNLV library cataloging department. It was a career path change that she never regretted. She eventually became the Supervisor of the Architecture Studies Library; a position she held for nine years until her retirement Among the highlights of her career was being involved in the change to an electronic catalog system and being on the planning committee for Lied Library.

Information about the High Hat Regency that sits at 1300 S Las Vegas Blvd.
Site address: 1300 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Tarighi Bahman and Farideh
Sign details: The building was constructed in 1958 (Assessor). A vintage postcard from the 1950's-- or more likely the 1960's (based upon the automobiles pictured)-- shows that the business was previously named the Chevron Motel (Las Vegas motels then and now).
Sign condition: Condition is 3-4, fair to good. The pole, cabinets and reader board are in good condition. Moderate rust is evident around the edges of the top cabinet. The paint is generally in good condition, although there white patches (from repairs?) on the chevron. The neon tubing is entirely intact. Most of the incandescent light bulbs are present, except for the underside of the lower cabinet, where they are completely absent.
Sign form: Pole Sign
Sign-specific description: A single round white metal pole supports the sign, which is cantilevered toward the street. The cabinets form a rectangular "C" which is open on the motel side. The interior of the "C" surrounds a chevron which points toward the motel. On top of the motel side of the upper cabinet is a metal top hat and cane. The sign is attached to the pole at the side of the lower cabinet, the point of the chevron and the bottom of the upper cabinet. The background color of the sign is sky blue. The bottom of the face of the lower cabinet has the word "VACANCY" painted in white sans serif letters. The letters are traced in white skeleton neon. To the left, the word "NO" is spelled out in clear skeleton neon sans serif letters. Above the neon letters is a white metal reader board which has a row of clear incandescent light bulbs running along the top, bottom and motel side edges. A single row of clear incandescent light bulbs runs the entire length of the street side of the sign. On the street side of the chevron is a blue metal cabinet with the word "MOTEL" spelled in white channel letters. The channels are outlined by white neon tubes, while the interior of the channels are filled with clear or white incandescent light bulbs. On the motel side of the "MOTEL" cabinet is a blue chevron which is covered with clear or white incandescent light bulbs. The top cabinet features the words "High Hat" spelled out in white cursive letters. Below is the word "REGENCY" painted in white sans serif letters. All wording is traced by white skeleton neon. On top of the motel side of the upper cabinet is a white top hat with a blue hat band. Running through the hat is a white cane. The hat and cane are traced by white skeleton neon. The hat is covered with white or clear incandescent light bulbs.
Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent, reader board
Sign - media: Steel, plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: reader board
Sign animation: Light bulbs flicker
Sign environment: Las Vegas Boulevard South, north of the Las Vegas Strip near other motels and wedding chapels.
Sign - date of installation: c.1950s
Sign - thematic influences: Elegance, sophistication, high society, boomerang/chevron, 1950's, 1960's, mid-century
Survey - research locations: Assessor's website
Survey - research notes: Connolly, D. (2012 July 21). Chevron Motel. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisconnolly5059yahoocom/7635650456 Hagopian, M. (2011 January 28). No vacancy in vintage Vegas. Retrieved https://hyperallergic.com/15738/no-vacancy- vintage-vegas/ Las Vegas motels then and now. (n.d.). Chevron Motel. Retrieved from http://stefanidrivesvegas.com/8.html RoadsideArchitecture. (n.d.). High Hat Regency Motel. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas.html Seltzer, D. J. (2014 June 1). High Hat Regency Motel sign in Las Vegas [Video recording]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bQdw48LVrA
Survey - other remarks: A vintage postcard circa 1950's-1960's shows the Chevron Motel sign as a simple pole mounted with a reader board and two light boxes which form a "C" shape open toward the motel (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). A later postcard features the same sign with a chevron in the center and a semi-circular arch which encloses a light ball above the upper cabinet (Connolly, 2012). The current sign retains the chevron, the metal frames of the light boxes and reader board (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). A hat and cane have replaced the arch and light ball at the top of the sign (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). The light boxes have been replaced with metal cabinets with incandescent and neon displays (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). The sign is pictured in a vintage postcard circa 1950's-1960's (Las Vegas motels then and now, n.d.). At that time it advertised the Chevron Motel.
Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-06
Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Pole sign; Flickering