Oral history interview with Bruce L. Woodbury conducted by Stefani Evans on September 27, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Woodbury talks about serving as Clark County commissioner from 1981 to 2009. He discusses transportation accomplishments such as the CC-215 Bruce Woodbury Beltway, the Desert Inn Super Arterial, and the Monorail.
Oral history interview with Anthony A. Marnell II conducted by Claytee White and Stefani Evans on September 29, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Marnell speaks to the importance of teaching future generations about the value of work, of earning the sense of accomplishment, and of fueling one's inner spirit. He talks of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), of entrepreneurial gamesmanship, and of casino greats Bill Boyd, Jay Sarno, Cliff Perlman, Kirk Kerkorian, and Steve Wynn. He describes the evolution of Las Vegas resorts from prioritizing casino games to fine dining to night clubs and entertainment. Marnell also speaks about building and operating the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
Oral history interview with Donald Brinkerhoff conducted by by Stefani Evans on September 30, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. He describes organizing the signature tree for The Mirage, building the Mirage volcano, taking the idea for Bellagio’s conservatory from the DuPont family’s Longwood Gardens, creating faux banyans in the Mirage atrium, creating the model for the Las Vegas Strip median, and building the mountain on Las Vegas Boulevard in front of Wynn Las Vegas to conceal the Cloud at the Fashion Show Mall.
Oral history interview with Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs conducted by Stefani Evans on September 30, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Brinkerhoff-Jacobs talks about her childhood in Southern California and Europe, the history of Lifescapes International, how she came into the business, and how the company came to do most of the major projects on Las Vegas, Nevada Strip as well as other Clark County locations.
Oral history interview with Steve Keener conducted by David G. Schwartz on October 07, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Keener discusses his background in the slot positions at Tropicana Hotel, in Atlantic City and the Dover Down Hotel in Delaware. Keener also discusses the expansion of video over stepper, server-based gaming, and the increase in riverboat gaming. He also mentions the role of free play, skill-based, and 3D gaming being introduced into slot machines.
Oral history interview with Michael Mack conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 20, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Mack discusses his early memories in the Las Vegas, Nevada Jewish community, attending the Fifth Street School, and participating in activities with his friends. He also reminisces about going to the Flamingo Hotel with his parents to see floor shows.
Oral history interview with Elaine Cali McNamara conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee White on October 05, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. McNamara talks of being a teenager in Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her high school years and how she studied modeling in the evenings. Lastly, she talks of being a realtor in the early 1980s and serving as Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors vice president.
Oral history interview with Don Laughlin conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee White on October 10, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Laughlin talks about owning multiple properties in the town of Laughlin, Nevada and the growth of the city.
Oral history interview with Dorothy Wright conducted by Claytee Wright on April 23, 2015 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Wright opens her interview by discussing her parents and their upbringings. She then describes her father's time in the Marines during World War II and his death a few years later. Wright then talks about her stepfather and her family's move to Las Vegas, Nevada for her stepfather's job at the Nevada Test Site. Wright describes moving away from Las Vegas to attend college in Washington and, returning to Las Vegas in 1968. She talks about attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, working for the Nevada Humanities Committee, and active African American civic groups in the 1970s. Wright ends the interview highlighting some of the major Las Vegas projects she wrote grants for including the Neon Museum and the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign.
Oral history interview with David Rohn conducted by David G. Schwartz on October 20, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Rohn discusses working in arcades and slots within properties such as Wildhorse Resort and Casino, and Midnight Rose Hotel and Casino. He then provides his philosophy on what he believes customers are looking for in casinos, and how slot operations have changed over time, particularly through ticket-in ticket-out and the use of free play.