Oral history interview with Claytee D. White conducted by Stefani Evans on November 2, 2023 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Claytee D. White, founding directory of the Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries, celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the OHRC by contributing her oral history to the collection.
She begins by explaining how the system of sharecropping worked in her family near rural Ahoskie, North Carolina, and she talks about the field work involved in raising cotton, tobacco, corn, and peanuts. The fifth of eight children and the first daughter, she shares memories of going into town with her mother, of admiring her women teachers, and of attending North Carolina Central College (now University) for two years before moving to Washington, D.C., and working for the telephone company.
After recalling her two years in D.C. and 22 years in Los Angeles, California, she describes "running away" to Las Vegas, Nevada in the early 1990s. Here, at the History department at UNLV, she recalls learning to conduct oral histories. White shares memories of her first interviews with Hazel and Jimmy Gay and Lucille Bryant. She talks of matriculating to the College of William and Mary for her PhD and of returning to Bertie County to live with her mother and administer the office of The Shaw University Center for Alternative Programs in Education (CAPE). She describes how she was offered the position of OHRC founding director, why it matters that she was an "opportunity hire," and how it feels to be the only Black person in a room.
Archival Collection
The Las Vegas Gambling Surveillance Collection (approximately 1990-2007) contains materials presumably from the office of Daniel Schreffler who worked as a surveillance officer for Boyd Gaming Corporation, including the Stardust Casino, during the early to mid-2000s. Materials include print outs and digital versions of CCTV images, Stardust Casino surveillance reports, and alert reports related to gambling and gaming cheaters in Las Vegas, Nevada from gaming investigative services such as Griffin Investigations, SIN Report, and Biometrica Systems. Materials also include Daniel Schreffler's email correspondence and employee related paperwork and documentation from the Stardust Casino.
Archival Collection
The UNLV December 6, 2023 Memorial Collection (2023-2024) contains material documenting the response to the deadly shooting on UNLV's Maryland Parkway campus on December 6, 2023. The collection contains items left at spontaneous memorials, such as handwritten notecards, small religious tokens, bracelets, teddy bears, and artificial flowers. Also included in the collection are videos of the UNLV vigil service held on December 13, 2023, archived UNLV websites, and condolence items sent to campus administration. Additionally, two members of the UNLV community donated their personal photographs and journal entries relating to the day of the shooting.
Archival Collection
The Maria Pogee Papers (1942-2019) document the life and career of Argentinian born dancer, choreographer, and actress, Maria Pogee. Pogee worked extensively in Argentina, Chile, Lebanon, around the United States and in Las Vegas, Nevada. Materials include press clippings, show programs, correspondence, and photographs representing Pogee's entertainment career such as her work in the stage production of
Archival Collection
The UNLV Libraries Collection of Compton Dancer Consulting reports (2002-2008) contains monthly promotional reports compiled for CDC Gaming by H. Scot Krause. The reports list a variety of promotions at Las Vegas, Nevada casinos including slot tournaments, bonus point redemption promotions, "double point days", service industry deals, and more.
Archival Collection
[This collection is unprocessed.] The Norma Jean Almodovar Papers (approximately 1980-2023) contain the paper of sex worker rights activist Norma Jean Almodovar. The collection also includes records relating to the nonprofit organization she founded, International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE). Almodovar is a former police officer and sex worker, who served a prison sentence for solicitation, and subsequently became an activist for the decriminalization of sex work.
Archival Collection
The McNamee Family Papers (approximately 1898-2000) are comprised of family papers of early Nevada settlers, Frank (Francis) Raphael McNamee and Effie Alice Webster McNamee. It contains original family photographs and some documents such as newspaper clippings, award certificates, handwritten deeds, and correspondence about Effie and Frank McNamee Sr., and their eight children, including Frank Jr. and Leo McNamee. There are large folders of photocopied genealogy printouts from Ancestry.com regarding Frank and Effie McNamee.
Archival Collection
The Lincy Institute "Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic" Oral History Project contains transcribed interviews with Nevada leaders, interviewed for their perspective and experiences leading during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These individuals include policymakers and elected officials, as well as leaders of government agencies, community organizations, businesses, and K-12 and higher education institutions.
Archival Collection
Julia Lynn Morris and James Stanford Papers (approximately 1990-2024) contain materials from Lynn and James's varied careers in Las Vegas, Nevada. The collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, videos, photographs, and ephemera from the Las Vegas arts scene, the Contemporary Arts Collective, Arts Factory, and other projects related to the couple.
Archival Collection
The Patricia Craig Papers (approximately 1941-1989) contain photographs from Las Vegas, Nevada dancer and showgirl Patricia (Pat) Craig. The collection includes early photographs of her family, Craig as a young ballet dancer, and her high school diploma. The majority of the photographs of are Craig in costume on stage, candid photographs of her at home, and professional modeling shots. There are a small amount of newspaper clippings and magazines regarding Craig's appearances in Las Vegas shows, and her diploma from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection