Oral history interview with Ann Ronzone conducted by Claytee D. White on July 19, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Ronzone discusses her personal history and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1946. Ronzone recalls atomic bomb testing, local organizations that she was involved in, Ronzone's department store, and changes in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Shirley Allen conducted by Nancy Hardy on June 21, 2003 for the Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Allen discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with her family and starting dancing professionally while attending university. Her first job was at the Riviera in 1964, working as a showgirl. She explains that the work was not difficult and they were not asked to do anything inappropriate, but they did have to pay for their own cocktail dresses and accessories. She also explains that she was a "covered dancer" in the beginning but by the late 1960s she had to "uncover" (work topless) to be employed. She then talks about working in Pzazz! '68 at the Stardust Resort Hotel and Casino, after auditioning for Fluff LeCoque, Donn Arden's company captain. She also talks about her impression of Miss Bluebell and Donn Arden. She spends some time talking about what life was like backstage, relations between the girls, and meeting celebrities, her first experience with topless dancing in Lido de Paris, and how the backstage dressing areas were assigned and the difficulty of fast changes between sets. Later, she talks about things that can go wrong, from forgeting choreography to the more serious issue of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that swept through the shows in the 1980s.
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 Al McDaniels conducted by Rodney Goosby on February 28, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. McDaniels discusses his personal history and his education at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). McDaniels later discusses the significance that sports had throughout his life and his job as a sports coach at UNLV. McDaniel then recalls the changes in social structure throughout Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Prince Spencer conducted by Claytee White on January 09, 2005 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Spencer discusses his career as a dancer in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sands Hotel and Flamingo Hotel. He also talks about his activity in the Civil Rights Movement, work as a casino host, and participation in the Second Baptist Church in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Rehn conducted by Melissa Valentine on February 15, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Rehn discusses how he believes people have changed in Las Vegas, Nevada since he moved there in 1939. Rehn bemoans how African Americans were treated and segregated in Las Vegas, and describes his career as a political cartoonist. He describes clubs in Las Vegas and their connection to organized crime, as well as the inner workings of the casinos and their relation to the economy.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert Bolden conducted by Nick Matthews on November 29, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Bolden discusses growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his educational experience in Las Vegas, taking the bus to school while living in West Las Vegas, being involved in school sports, and describes the first schools to open on the Westside. Bolden then recalls racial disparities in Las Vegas, African American leaders in his community, and the importance that his education had to him. Lastly, Bolden discusses his career coaching for his track club, Las Vegas Blazin One’z.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carl Mortensen conducted by Carloyn Grattan on March 03, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mortensen discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1951. Mortensen discusses the Boulder (Hoover) Dam as well as the growth of Las Vegas. Mortensen also discusses atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Barbara Cloud conducted by Shirley Emerson on May 30, 2006 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Barbara Cloud discusses teaching journalism at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, building up the journalism program, becoming department chair, editor of Journalism history, and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs. She also discusses serving on the Nevada Commission of Colleges and Universities and the Nevada Humanities Committee, as well as currently indexing the Las Vegas Sun newspaper for digitization.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Al Lermusiaux conducted by Shirley Dianne Long on March 09, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Lermusiaux begins by talking about his move to Las Vegas, his family and what brought him to the city. He shares many anecdotes about the construction of different iconic buildings in Las Vegas, the inner workings of the business, payments to employees and the changes in technology. Lermusiaux, in particular, talks of the telephone system in the fifties and the changes in structures and their regulations. During his interview, Lermusiaux lays out an image of old Las Vegas and Henderson, giving detailed descriptions of the layout of the city, the projects he worked on and the effects of the weather on building structures in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection