Helen Smith was born and raised in New Jersey and came to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956. Her aunt convinced her to interview for a job at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital and Smith worked there for a year. She worked in the emergency room in New Jersey, so it was natural for her to start in the newly opened emergency room (ER) at Southern Nevada Memorial. Smith’s career went from relief nurse to supervisor.

Jesse D. Scott was born March 3, 1920 in Ethel, Louisiana. Scott moved to Los Angeles and was urged to get involved in the local NAACP. As chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee, he found that he could make a difference. Rev. Scott's commitment in California, which included presidency of the West Side branch and field officer for the West Coast region, ended in 1970. He was offered a position in the Las Vegas branch and eventually hired on as executive director.