Oral history interview with Wendy Starkweather conducted by Claytee D. White on April 9, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Wendy Starkweather (born 1949) served as the public face of Lied Library 20 years ago when the building was first constructed. She discusses her time at Lied Library with specific references to her most memorable moments and her favorite aspects of the library's architecture. Wendy also talks about her retirement from UNLV in 2010 and how she has kept busy in recent years by traveling, reading, and participating in the political arena. Subjects discussed include: Lied Library, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and Book Clubs.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rosemarie and Gregory Johnson conducted by Amber Rose Johnson on December 04, 2016 and December 05, 2016 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In the first interview, Gregory discusses his early life and growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about being being an electrician and member of the IBEW Local 357 in Las Vegas, and Union workers' strike. In the second interview, Rosemarie discusses her upbringing and arriving to Las Vegas in 1984. Lastly, Gregory and Rosemarie describe the implications of being an interracial couple, and the intersections of race and class.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dick Franco conducted by Su Kim Chung on July 14, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Richard Francis or Dick Franco, his stage name by which he is more commonly known, has been juggling for over 50 years, having learned the art while he was still in high school. Taught by prominent juggling legends in Vaudeville and Las Vegas, Franco would go on to perform all over the world. He began as an opening act with the Harlem Globetrotters in the US, but he then traveled Europe and was featured in variety and production shows in Blackpool, London, Monte Carlo, and Berlin among others.
Franco won specialty awards in Monte Carlo and Paris for his juggling prowess. In the US, Franco performed extensively in Las Vegas at the shows Hallelujah Hollywood, Lido de Paris, Folies Bergere and Jubilee. He then performed many shows in Branson, MO before becoming an entertainment agent and producer in Las Vegas. His wife and daughter traveled all over the world with him and both would perform in his acts.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carol Harter conducted by Claytee D. White on June 18, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Carol Harter is the longest-serving President of UNLV, from 1995 until 2006. The campus experienced unprecedented growth during that time, including the addition of a new, very large library. Harter grew the campus from 19,000 to 28,000 students, added 23 new or completely renovated buildings to the campus, and with a student-centered focus, added more than 100 new degree programs. Two professional schools, the Dental School and Boyd School of Law, added greatly to the prestige and academic Top Tier status of UNLV.
Her partnership with Glenn Schaeffer, former president of the Mandalay Resort Group, assisted in the early work of the Black Mountain Institute (BMI) Modern Letters program. BMI is an international think tank dedicated to advancing literary and cross-cultural dialogue. This was an important goal to Harter and Schaeffer, who were both literature majors. Harter also discusses many community members who made an impact on UNLV including Joe Crowley and Dr. Juanita Fain.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patsy and Marshal Taylor conducted by Claytee D. White on December 17, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Patsy discusses her upbringing in Lovelock, Nevada and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1963. She remembers the city at the time and attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Marshal talks about his employment at the Nevada Test Site, and joining the City of North Las Vegas as a park planner and grant writer. Lastly, Patsy and Marshal describe early movie theaters, curfews for teenagers, and early ambulance services.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jeff McBride conducted by Claytee D. White on November 27, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, McBride discusses his early life and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985. He talks about the benefits of magician performers in Las Vegas entertainment, prominent magicians in the city, and the importance of magic.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Pete Berger conducted by David Schwartz on June 14, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Pete Berger discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 after serving in the United States Air Force in California. He talks about his career working as a pit boss at over a dozen Las Vegas casinos , other positions he held, and the people he met throughout his career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez conducted by Rodrigo Vazquez and Barbara Tabach on June 16, 2021 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Laurents is a Las Vegas native, graduate of Clark High School, and son of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants. He is currently an English teacher at Rancho High School and was a former student worker on the Latinx Voices project.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Barbara Jean Drew conducted by Claytee D. White on May 17, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Barbara Drew is the Dean of the Academy for Ministers, teaches Bible study, and performs other spiritual work at New Jerusalem Worship Center. Drew migrated to Las Vegas from Fortune Fork, Louisiana, just two miles outside the city limits of Tallulah.
This interview covers life in the Black community beginning when Drew arrived in 1961. She spoke about the importance of businesses like the Brown Derby, Hamburger Heaven, and the Town Tavern that hosted jazz on Sunday afternoons with a dance floor that she enjoyed. She discussed her first job running American Linen, a Dry Cleaners owned by Phil Shapiro; Shapiro mentored Drew, teaching her about business operations, purchasing property for her family, bookkeeping, and the importance of having a bank account. She also spoke of a neighborhood where neighbors helped neighbors and opportunities that flourished throughout the Black community. Subjects discussed include: Jackson Ave, Town Tavern, New Jerusalem Worship Center, Kasper Park, Berkley Square, and Phil Shapiro.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Asalee Harris conducted by Claytee D. White on May 17, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Asalee Harris was born in Fortune Fork, outside of Tallulah, Louisiana. Born into a family of cotton sharecroppers, farm life was arduous; eventually she and her family moved to Tallulah where she met and married her husband, James. Asalee and James moved to Las Vegas in 1954 where James' brother lived. She details her work as a maid and member of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, local businesses she remembers on Jackson Street including Wesley's Barber Shop, Johnson's Grocery Store, Elite Market, the Westside Credit Union, and her church work at New Jerusalem Church. Subjects discussed include: sharecropping, Tallulah, Louisiana, Westside Credit Union, and New Jerusalem Church.
Archival Collection