Oral history interview with Tom Wright conducted by Claytee White on February 14, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas History Project. Wright opens his interview by discussing his family history and his education. He then describes what the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was like in the 1960s and his father's experiences working at the newly established university. Wright then recalls his own experiences at UNLV in the history department as a "Latin Americanist" professor and dean. He also discusses Latin American history and his dissertation about Chilean politics.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Wright conducted by Andrew Weiss on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Wright discusses his career working for the
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Richard V. Wyman conducted by David Emerson on February 27, 2006 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Wyman discusses construction of Marshmallow Tunnel at the Nevada Test Site, working on Exchequer Tunnel for Sunshine Mine in Idaho, and a tunnel in Merced, California. Wyman details his career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He then discusses moving into a new building and creating a PhD program for engineering. He also discusses the splitting up of the old College of Science, Math, and Engineering into separate disciplines, and watching the number of graduates increase.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edythe Katz-Yarchever conducted by Claytee White on December 09, 2000, February 11, 2003, March 11, 2003, and December 06, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas History Project. In the interviews, Katz-Yarchever discusses her life in Las Vegas, Nevada, owning movie theaters with her husband, Lloyd Katz, and the strides they made in civil rights. She talks about her service in Civil Defense and the National Guard, moving to various places, and working in Los Angeles, California. She also discusses becoming involved in the community in various ways with Operation Independence and Holocaust education.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Gilbert Yarchever conducted by Claytee White on April 03, 2006 and April 07, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Yarchever opens his interview by discussing his childhood in Pennsylvania and what growing up during the Depression was like. He then describes looking for employment and the discrimination he experienced for being Jewish. Yarchever then recalls his move to Washington, D.C. in December of 1939 and the atmosphere of the city at the brink of World War II. He describes his arrival in North Africa and how he helped smuggle Jews out of Eastern Europe and into Jerusalem for safety during the war. Yarchever talks about his Army service and his rescue from a sinking boat in the Suez Canal. Yarchever ends his interview with a discussion on why he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and his involvement in the local community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jane Reid Yeager conducted by Lois J. Cooper on July 03, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Yeager begins by discussing owning a cafe in Henderson, Nevada and the Mexican and Asian populations in Southern Nevada. She describes visits by prominent politicians and life in Henderson, as well as changes she has observed in Nevada, including the construction of highways, increased tourism, and the development of casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yeager goes on to talk about her husband's writings about Nevada and prominent mines in the state. She concludes by discussing flooding and cattle ranching in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Christie Young conducted by Dennis McBride on October 18, 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interview, Young talks about her early life in Reno, Nevada and her experiences with race and sexuality during this time. She then describes attending University of Nevada, Reno in 1974, getting pregnant, having an abortion, and the social implications of abortions. Young recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1979 to study anthropology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, learning about gay culture, and attending the Metropolitan Community Church. She then explains joining gay rights organizations as a straight woman, gay rights activism in the 1980s and 1990s, and stories of individuals within the Las Vegas gay community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Walker Young conducted by Elton Garrett on June 23, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Virginia "Teddy" Fenton, Hal Erickson, Martha Garrett, and Jane Young also briefly participate in the interview. They answer a few questions about their experience working on the project and working with Young. Young primarily discusses the design and construction of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam. He details surveying possible dam sites and describes his interactions with members of the project team.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Louise Anna Yoxen conducted by Claytee White on October 08, 2003 and October 15, 2003 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Yoxen begins her interview by discussing how she first arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada to work for the U.S. State Department in the 1950s. She then describes her childhood in Alabama, competing in the Miss America pageant, and her life in Miami, Florida. Yoxen also discusses living in North Africa and Berlin, Germany while working for the State Department as a clerk. She then talks about moving around with her sister and her family, and eventually coming to Las Vegas. She describes what Las Vegas was like in the 1950s. Yoxen ends her interview with a discussion on her family, her husband's work, and their recreational activities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gerald Yurek conducted by Kellie Yurek on March 09, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Yurek discusses his start and experiences in the illegal gaming scene in Kentucky. He recalls witnessing fixed games and prostitution. Yurek then explains his move into the legal gambling industry in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1960s.
Archival Collection