Oral history interview with Gladys and Lester Simmons conducted by their grandson, James L. Moore, on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Mr. Simmons discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1945 to work on the Union Pacific Railroad. He describes the company culture, railroad lines, and the company's shift in focus to freight transport. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons talk about the construction and growth of Nevada Southern University (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) as well as the overall growth of the city of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Pamela Sitton conducted by Claytee D. White on February 27, 2009 for the UNLV@ Fifty Oral History Project. Sitton discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1963 where her father worked at the Nevada Test Site and graduating from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). Sitton also discusses working at UNLV Libraries from 1974 until she retired March of 2009.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert Skaggs conducted by Dr. David Emerson on May 06, 2006 for the UNLV @ Fifty Oral History Project. Skaggs discusses teaching engineering at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, starting in 1969. He also discusses being involved in getting accreditation with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Inc. for the engineering college, establishing a chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and building an engineering master's and a PhD program.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Yolanda Scaggs conducted by Thomas Walker on March 02, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Scaggs discusses air conditioning, the railroad, and atomic bomb testing. Scaggs talks about the growth of Las Vegas, Nevada, specifically the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. She also mentions former President John F. Kennedy, mining, and the growth of Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dan Skanovsky conducted by Richard A. Kelly on April 02, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Skanovsky discusses the legalization of gambling and his experiences in the gambling industry in Nevada. Skanovsky talks about living in Tonopah, Nevada. Later, Skanovsky discusses casinos, their operations, and the chances of winning money in casinos.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ron Slack conducted by John Wolf on February 19, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Slack discusses arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 in search of job opportunities. He then recalls being drafted into the United States Army. He ends by describing his work as a slot manager at the Golden Nugget and the duties associated with the job.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Arlene Matthews Smith conducted by Elizabeth Nelson Patrick on March 26, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Smith discusses living in Caliente, Nevada and recalls her family history. Smith also discusses going to high school in Panaca, Nevada, construction of Boulder (Hoover) dam, prohibition, and the growth of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Barr Smith conducted by Melvin Smail on February 22, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Smith discusses his personal history and the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Smith discusses working at the Basic Magnesium plant, playing high stakes poker games with prominent gamblers like "Nick the Greek," and the casinos built on the early Las Vegas Strip. Smith also describes how Las Vegas has changed, the different forms of gambling and gaming available in the city, and life in 1940s Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Billy Paul Smith conducted by Claytee D. White on October 13, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Smith discusses his careers as a chemist, mathematician, health physicist, and a tutor for young people. He talks about experiencing segregation in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as his experiences in Area 51 and Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository.
Archival Collection