In 1990, Las Vegas became home to Ellis Landau and his attorney wife, Yvette. They moved from Phoenix, Arizona when Ellis accepted a position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with Boyd Gaming. The relocation also included a desire to become active in the local community. Temple Beth Sholom was one of their first connections. For Ellis the Jewish community of a newer city like Las Vegas differed immensely from his childhood upbringing in a more ethnic Jewish community outside Philadelphia. Nevertheless, Ellis soon became active on the Temple Beth Sholom board, and is a past Treasurer and President. The couple are among the founders of the Warsaw Memorial Garden at the synagogue. In 2006, Ellis was honored as Temple Beth Sholom’s “Man of the Year.” The Landaus have been significantly involved with other local organizations such as Nathan Adelson Hospice and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Ellis’s dedication to the Anti-defamation League, both on a local and regional level, is a beacon of inspiration to others. The Landaus are sponsors of ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program. Ellis is a graduate of Brandeis University in economics and has a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University School of Business. His former career steps include Ramada Inc. and U-Haul Corporation.
Please I’d Like to Grow: Conversations and Reflections on Student Activism at UNLV panel discussion conducted by Heidi Johnson on November 20, 2016 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this discussion, faculty, students, and alumni of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) discuss student activism, university exhibits and programs to promote diversity, environmental justice, and racial and sexual antidiscrimination. The discussion was held from 2-4 p.m. in the Goldfield Room of Lied Library and moderated by Heidi Johnson, UNLV social sciences librarian. Panelists include: UNLV student Michael Curtis, Black Student Organization; UNLV student Briceida Hernandez, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) and Spectrum; UNLV alumnus Robert Leavitt, former Rebel Yell photographer and Vietnam veteran; UNLV alumna Tara Pike-Nordstrom, Recycling Manager and Campus Sustainability Coordinator; and UNLV Associate Professor and Director of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs Anita Revilla, Ph.D.
Oral history interview with Judy Roen Smith conducted by David G. Schwartz on October 27, 2003 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Smith, the daughter of Allard Roen, talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses the family home on the golf course of the Desert Inn Country Club Estates, her parents' determination to keep their children outside the casino environment, and the few memories she had of visiting the Desert Inn Hotel and Stardust Hotel for special occasion dinners or family-friendly shows like Jack Benny and Danny Kaye. She also discusses her early education and the relatively closed circle of friends whose parents also lived on the Country Club grounds. She shares stories about her parents, some of her father's associates, and her conviction that no one in her circle of friends ever talked about a Mob influence on the city. She also discusses the family's move to La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California, where she finished high school, and going to work in marketing for the casino trade.
Oral history interview with Stavan Corbett conducted by Nathalie Martinez on November 5, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Barbara Tabach and Rodrigo Vazquez also participate in the questioning. Stavan Corbett is a member of the Latino community who has served as an educator and politician in Las Vegas. Growing up in Las Vegas, Stavan was exposed to various environments that all helped him shape his Latino identity. Stavan was able to appreciate the Catholic and Jewish cultures as well. During the 1970s and '80s his experiences with first and second generation Latinos played a large role in his identity formation, especially as a student. He was the first in his family to graduate from high school and college. Stavan worked in the hotel industry and moved on to work with troubled youth and eventually become a member of the Nevada State Board and the Clark County School Board. His continued work with the Latin Chamber of Commerce has also allowed him to be involved with the Latino Youth Leadership Conference. Subjects discussed include: Identity Struggle, Interracial Relationships, Working in the Hotel Industry, Clark County School District, and Cultural Assimilation.
The MacDonald Ranch Development Records (1972-2010) contain correspondence, maps, master plans, architectural drawings, civil drawings, and landscape drawings primarily detailing the community development process of MacDonald Ranch, one of the oldest master-planned communities in Henderson, Nevada. Additional materials include project management documentation; land assessments and investigations; municipal infrastructure studies and construction plans, including water use and drainage, environmental impacts, traffic and roadways, and electricity; property title and sale documents; and various additional materials documenting the community development process.