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Displaying results 1601 - 1610 of 2520

Carye St. Claire oral history interview

Identifier

OH-03589

Abstract

Oral history interview with Carye St. Claire conducted by Claytee D. White on July 02, 2008 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. St. Claire begins the interview by discussing her upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was born in 1948. She details riding around the city on a horse before the area became more developed and how she learned to dance. St. Claire discusses her career as a showgirl, the audition process, and performing at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino with comedian Richard Pryor. She describes performing at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino, being friends with the first African American showgirl, and her parents' reaction to her career choice. St. Claire also details the influence of Howard Hughes on Las Vegas, race relations in the city, and performing shows on ice.

Archival Collection

Virginia James oral history interviews

Identifier

OH-00936

Abstract

Oral history interviews with Virginia James conducted by Claytee D. White on various dates in October and November 2004, and March and July 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the interview, James describes her experiences as a dancer with the Texas Copa Girls at the Sands Hotel and Casino, and with the Jayne Mansfield Show and Folies Bergère at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. She recalls her early life in Texas, learning how to dance, and applying to be a dancer at the Sands in 1957. James details the audition process, her first impressions of Las Vegas upon arriving, and memories of her performances. Other subjects James covers include her marriages, her children, and other occupations she held later in life.

Archival Collection

Earl R. Sorom oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01737

Abstract

Oral history interview with Earl R. Sorom conducted by his son, Earl M. Sorom, on March 06, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sorom discusses his personal history and Las Vegas, Nevada. Sorom describes his life before moving to Nevada to work at the Nevada Test Site, and later working there as a contractor for Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Co., Inc. (REECO). Sorom discusses his career in radiological health, nuclear tests that he was involved with, and radioactive decontamination of the Test Site. Sorom goes on to discuss his interest in gardening, his travels, and how Las Vegas has changed.

Archival Collection

Raymond D. Rawson oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01540

Abstract

Oral history interview with Raymond Rawson conducted by Claytee D. White on October 30, 2009 and November 13, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview Raymond Rawson discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of ten in 1950. He also discusses his educational background, including the fact that he was a member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' first graduating class. He also talks about growing up in Las Vegas, his professional accomplishments, advocating for the creation of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, and about being a community leader.

Archival Collection

Burton Cohen oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00230

Abstract

Oral history interview with Burton Cohen conducted by Claytee White on January 09, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Burt reflects on the positions he held in numerous famous Las Vegas, Nevada Strip casinos, the celebrities he hired and befriended, and offers a unique look at the behind the scenes marketing and entertainment strategies that he helmed. He shares stories of becoming entrenched in casino operations and his reflections of union experiences.

Archival Collection

Mary and Bruce Eaton oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00514

Abstract

Oral history interview with Mary and Bruce Eaton conducted by Beatrice Scheid on March 8, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Mary discusses growing up in the early days of Boulder City, Nevada, specifically the influences of the churches and schools. She also talks about housing, transportation, and her career as an educator. Bruce, her husband, talks about his employment with Six Companies, Inc., the issues of worker’s compensation, and the cooling system used to cool the concrete of the dam as it was being built.

Archival Collection

Gladys and Lester Simmons oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01702

Abstract

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

Eleanor and Elmer H. Nighswonger oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01387

Abstract

Oral history interview with Eleanor and Elmer H. Nighswonger conducted by Rick Isom on September 24, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Elmer and Eleanor explain why they moved to Southern Nevada, Elmer's career as battalion chief of the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department, and living in Boulder City, Nevada. The Nighswongers also discuss Elmer's political affiliation, nuclear weapons tests, economic changes of Southern Nevada, and pollution caused by the chemical and metal plants in Henderson, Nevada.

Archival Collection

Jacquita Davis, Sandra Sager, Ilene Bittle, Dorothy Swackhamer oral history interview

Identifier

OH-02944

Abstract

Oral history interview with Jacquita Davis, Sandra Sager, Ilene Bittle, Dorothy Swackhamer conducted by Claytee D. White on January 19, 2017 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Davis, Sager, Bittle, and Swackhamer discuss their early lives and membership in the Beta Sigma Phi sorority. They talk about the organizations philanthropy work, assisting the homeless, and funding for the sorority. The group describes the changing roles of women since the 1940s, and the sorority’s involvement in Henderson, Nevada.

Archival Collection

Ron Tomlin oral history interview

Identifier

OH-03893

Abstract

Oral history interview with Ronald (Ron) Tomlin conducted by Claytee D. White on December 20, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Tomlin recalls growing up as child with his mother, Dorothy Dalton Tomlin, who started the Dotty Dee Dancers in 1952. Ron recalls spending much of his childhood with his grandmother while his mother toured the country with the Dotty Dee Dancers. In 1955, his father, Donald Sherwood Tomlin, opened a clothing store, Scottie's Clothing Store, in the Moulin Rouge shopping strip on the Westside of Las Vegas, where he sold the latest fashion trends to Black men. Ron traveled across country with his parents after high school, helped them run a small resort on the Russian River called the Bohemian Grove, and then began his photography career. Throughout his career as a photographer, he has photographed Mike Tyson, Naomi Campbell, and Elvis. Tomlin also talks about having a passion for dancing, like his mother.

Archival Collection