Oral history interview with Ruby Gordon conducted by Claytee D. White on October 29, 2004 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Gordon talks about her birth and early upbringing in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Las Vegas, Nevada, where her parents moved when she was seven years old. She discusses her parent's decision to move for better opportunities and the kind of work they did, then speaks extensively about her education through high school, her early marriage, and raising six children. She also talks about the difficulties that mothers faced while trying to work and raise children, especially those with health issues. Later she talks about her involvement with the Elks fraternal organization and explains that there were different lodges for whites and Blacks, based primarily on location, the lodges regularly interacted and worked together on civic and charity programs. Finally, she expands on her own work history in early childhood education, working for the state, and for Child Haven.
The Claes Oldenburg Photograph consists of a single black-and-white photograph taken by Patricia Mortati in March 1981 of sculptor Claes Oldenburg. The photograph depicts Oldenburg watching the installation of the Flashlight, which is reflected in a window behind Oldenburg. The Flashlight is steel sculpture created by Oldenburg and artist Coosje Van Bruggen for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's campus.
The Ronald Sharp Collection on MAD Building for Project Rover (approximately 1958-1963) contains a brochure and photographs of the Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (MAD) Building for Project Rover located at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at the Nevada Test Site. The MAD building was one of the major centers for testing activities for Project Rover which was a United States project to develop a nuclear-thermal rocket. The materials also include photographs of an engine transporting a Kiwi nuclear rocket reactor from the MAD building to the test site and a mushroom nuclear cloud. Also included are photographs of Ronald Sharp and New Mexico artist Jose Sanchez, presumably at the MAD Building.
Oral history interviews with Eddie Eliscu conducted by Arnold Shaw between approximately 1986-1987 for the Arnold Shaw Oral History Project on Las Vegas Entertainers. In these interviews, Eliscu reflects upon his career in entertainment, from serving as a social director at Camp Copake, New York to songwriting for stage and film. He describes his upbringing in a non-musical family, his first performances, and the more prominent professional developments of his career.
Oral history interview with Vivian "Viv" Frehner conducted by Gregg Carter on July 20, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Frehner talks about his upbringing in St. Thomas, Nevada, his marriage, his early work as a sheriff's deputy, a rancher, farmer, and road maintenance worker. He recalls going to the movies for twenty cents as a child, catching wild horses to ride in rodeos as a teenager, and the heat of Las Vegas, Nevada summers after he moved there for work as a young man for work. He remembers seeing dozens of artisan wells in Las Vegas well into the 1940s, the opening of Flamingo Hotel and Casino, the death of actress Carole Lombard in a 1941 plane crash outside Las Vegas, and the 1950s above-ground nuclear testing by the U. S. government.
Oral history interview with Brittney Erickson conducted by Claytee D. White on August 14, 2015 for the Building a Las Vegas Tech Culture oral history project. In this interview, Erickson talks about growing up in Henderson in a household that pursued the family-owned business, her education and work as a teacher, and "The Spirit Project", a web-based software tool that links government agencies to people with social challenges.
The Maryann Picchi Collection on Las Vegas Showgirls and Entertainment (approximately 1965-2009) contains newspapers clippings and programs for different shows on the Las Vegas Strip that featured showgirls from the 1970s to the 1990s. Shows represented in this collection includes Casino de Paris, Folies Bergère, and Jubilee!. Materials include programs for Stardust Resort and Casino cast and crew member reunions. Materials were donated by Maryann Picchi who used to perform as a showgirl for the Stardust.
UNLV Libraries Collection of Hotel and Casino Promotional and Publicity Materials (1943-2002) includes press kits, press releases, promotional materials, and newspaper and magazine clippings for various hotels and casinos in Nevada, the United States, and international locations. This collection consists entirely of material that was previously cataloged.
Oral history interview with Ruthe Deskin conducted by Anthony Ferri on April 17, 2000 for the Communication and Community in Las Vegas research study. In this interview, Deskin talks about her upbringing in Yerington, Nevada, her degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and her permanent move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1945. She discusses her early jobs working for KENO and KLAS radio stations as an advertising and continuity editor, her public relations work for the Last Frontier Hotel, and then starting what would become her life work with Hank Greenspun's Las Vegas Sun newspaper in 1954. Later, she talks about her column "Memo to Hank" and Greenspun's "Where I Stand" column, about how Las Vegas changed over her fifty year tenure at the newspaper, politicians, racial inequality, and highlights of her career.
The Ron Lewis Papers (approximately 1937-2021) contain photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence documenting the life and career of dancer and choreographer Ron Lewis. Materials in this collection represent shows Lewis choreographed in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, and internationally including Bare Touch, Casino de Paris, The Act, and Vive les Girls. Materials also include photographs of Lewis with Liza Minnelli and promotional materials, press clippings, and interviews for Liza at the Palace, which was directed and choreographed by Lewis.