Oral history interview with Elaina Blake conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 19, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Blake discusses being the first woman elected to head the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. She also discusses serving as vice chairman and chairman of the Clark County Planning Commission. Blake then talks about her involvement with the United Way, saving the YMCA from closure, and the Focus School Project in 1989. She then discusses working with major local builders such as Pageantry Homes, Heers Brothers, and Christopher Homes. Blake lastly discusses creating Blake and Associates and becoming became a real estate developer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nora Luna conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón and Barbara Tabach on November 07, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Luna talks about the Las Vegas, Nevada Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Latin Chamber of Commerce, and the Nathan Adelson Hospice.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frank Suda conducted by Eileen Green on March 03, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Suda describes life in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1942, where he was sent for military training during World War II. He discusses the history of the Las Vegas Flexible Gunnery School which was located in what became Indian Springs, Nevada, and the establishment of Nellis Air Force Base. He talks about recreational activities in Las Vegas, including listing different entertainers and casinos that were present at the time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bren Armstrong conducted by an unknown collector on May 28, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. This interview covers local politics and local newspapers, such as
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Isaac Barrón conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón and Claytee D. White on March 27, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Isaac Barrón was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father entered the United States as a Bracero. Barrón attended Rancho High School and earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from UNLV. He currently teaches history at Rancho High School and serves as North Las Vegas' Councilman. In this oral history, Barrón recalls his youth in North Las Vegas, navigating the presence of gangs, and his path to being a community activist and advocate for North Las Vegas youth. He has led volunteer efforts for community improvement projects, including the plans for a new public library. He holds the distinction of being the first Latinx member of the North Las Vegas City Council and Southern Nevada's first Hispanic Mayor Pro Tempore. In 2013, he was elected to represent Ward 1 and was reelected for a second term in April 2017. He discusses being Mexican American, the Coalition of Pan American Organizations, the Hispanic Student Union, the Bracero Program, and Rancho High School.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charlotte Brascia conducted by Joe Mascellino on February 24, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Mascellino asks Brascia about social and cultural changes, the growth of different religions, Brascia’s brief presence in the airline industry, political presence in Las Vegas, Nevada, and rising crime rates. Brascia also specifically discusses her experience in the gaming and hospitality industry and how gaming operations have changed over time, particularly comparing gaming and hiring practices in the 1950s with those in the 1970s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frank Cope conducted by Marianne Johnson on March 15, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cope describes his occupation as distribution superintendent at the Las Vegas Valley Water District and meeting his wife who also worked for the water district as a secretary in the engineering department. Cope also mentions multiple organizations and committees that he was a part of.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carol Forsythe conducted by Sam Copeland on March 02, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Forsythe discusses her husband’s career as a firefighter, specifically facts about the growth of the Clark County Fire Department. Forsythe later talks about the different residences at which she and her family lived and the developmental changes to Las Vegas, Nevada since she first arrived. Forsythe then discusses the Helldorado tradition and its changes as well as her family’s Episcopalian faith and the churches they attended.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lucy Alires conducted by Candice Bush on March 06, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Alires is interviewed about her experiences as a Spanish-American living in Henderson, Nevada. Alires describes the growth of the city, including Carver Park, and discusses some of the discrimination faced by Latin and African American citizens. She also mentions some of the changes in the Las Vegas Strip over time, including the presence of Latin Americans in the hospitality workforce.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles Adams conducted by Mike Lommori on February 28, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Adams discusses the changes in Southern Nevada over the previous twenty years. The two discuss, more specifically, changes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas over several years and the way student life has evolved. Adams also discusses some of the differences between Las Vegas and Joliet, Illinois, and changes in the gaming industry.
Archival Collection