Oral history interview with Helen Naugle conducted by Irene Rostine on October 31, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Naugle opens her interview by discussing moving to Las Vegas, Nevada after she visited the city on a family vacation. She then talks about attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in order to obtain her real estate license. Naugle describes opening her own real estate office, the types of properties she brokered, and her participation in the Las Vegas Board of Realtors. She ends her interview by discussing her international business work and vacations.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ruth Poirier conducted by Joanne Goodwin on February 05, 2003 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Poirier opens her interview by discussing her partner Doris Pressler, who had passed away before the interview. She describes Doris' upbringing, her role in the first band at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, and explains how an all-women band in the 1930s and 1940s was a phenomenon. Poirier then discusses her own history, including how she became involved in music and all-women bands, and how she met Doris. Poirier describes in detail the importance of music to her family, the types of music she played, and what it was like to be a musician during the Depression. She talks about her relationship with Doris and recalls early interactions with other gay youths. Poirer ends her interview explaining why she and Doris decided to settle in Las Vegas, Nevada, and describes their impressions and involvement with the local LGBTQ+ community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Shelia White conducted by Irene Rostine on May 24, 2012 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. White opens her interview by discussing her move to Boulder City, Nevada in 1953 with her mother. White then talks about her experiences working for the Southern Nevada Telephone company in the 1960s as a switchboard operator and how she eventually became a low-level customer service manager. She describes leaving the Southern Nevada Telephone company and being hired at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino. White also discusses the writer Celesta Lowe, the Lowe family, and the MGM Grand fire in great detail.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Audrey Wickman conducted by Joanne L. Goodwin on June 24, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Wickman opens her interview by discussing her upbringing in Kentucky, and her young adult life in Colorado. Wickman then talks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband during the Depression to look for employment. She then describes the Mesquite Club in detail, including its members and the club's activities from the 1930s to 1950s. Audrey Swenson, Wickman's daughter, joins the interview at the end. She discusses what the Mesquite Club was like in the 1950s through 1970s, and being raised in Las Vegas as a child.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Thomas Cooper conducted by Irene Rostine on August 04, 2011 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN). Cooper begins his interview by describing his journey from Dublin, Ireland to Ohio, California, and eventually Las Vegas, Nevada to work for the Centel Telephone Company and Centel Business Systems. Cooper explains his job responsibilities and talks about what phone companies and telecom systems were like in the 1950s. Cooper goes into detail about the tools and equipment needed to install telecom systems in hotels and businesses. He also talks about the technology that made manual operators obsolete.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Barbara Davis conducted by Joanne Goodwin on December 18, 1996 and March 25, 1997 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Davis opens her interviews by discussing her audition for the Folies Bergere as a dancer with limited experience. Davis describes working with the Folies Bergere as a touring showgirl in the 1940s. She discusses touring the United States in the Folies Bergere, touring South America for three years, and going to college at night while performing during the day. Davis then talks about the city of Reno, Nevada and working as a showgirl there. Davis addresses common rumors about showgirls, such as being involved in prostitution or being addicted to gambling. She then discusses her interest in education in her later years including earning various post graduate degrees. Davis ends her interview with a discussion on classic entertainment of the 1940s, including vaudeville and entertainment hotspots of the time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mark Brandenburg conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 22, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Brandenburg discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his stepfather’s involvement with the opening of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, becoming a co-owner of the property in 1990, and joining other downtown properties to form the Fremont Street Experience. Brandenburg describes the challenges in competing with mega-resorts on the Strip, modernizing the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, and weaving the history of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino with that of the more recent Fremont Street Experience. Lastly, Brandenburg discusses the monetization of the street, and the future of the Fremont Street Experience.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard "Dick" Rizzo conducted by Stefani Evans on October 18, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Rizzo discusses his early life in Massachusetts and initial interest in construction. He remembers moving to Arizona to join Tutor Perini Building Corporation in 1977, the company’s first Las Vegas, Nevada project, and their company’s decision to move to Las Vegas in 1980. Rizzo talks about the company's public image, building CityCenter, and the importance of maintaining professional relationships with all members in a building project. Later, Rizzo recalls the making of the book
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Kilduff conducted by Stefani Evans on November 03, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Kilduff discusses his early life in New Jersey. He talks about his background in accounting, and his employment with Arthur Anderson LLC and Leisure Technology. Kilduff recalls arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993, joining the Howard Hughes Corporation, and his role with American Nevada Company. Kilduff describes the development of Summerlin, Green Valley, Aliante, and infrastructure differences in those areas. Lastly, Kilduff discusses building Bishop Gorman High School.
Archival Collection
The UNLV Libraries Collection of Biographical Files (approximately 1837-2023) contains newspaper clippings, ephemera, correspondence, and other relevant biographical information on prominent figures in Southern Nevada history and many individuals and families found in UNLV Special Collections and Archives archival collections.
Archival Collection