Oral history interview with Samuel E. Wright conducted by Claytee D. White on October 08, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Wright discusses Stokely Carmichael, the black power philosophy, and his remorse in the Washington riots. Wright also discusses job opportunities in Las Vegas, Nevada and the lack of commissioner support to build a public mass transit system. Wright then shares stories about the Westside neighborhood and other black neighborhoods of the 1980s. He talks about the closing of F Street and resulting protests in 2008 and 2009, and the creation of Symphony Park.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with M. Joy Leavitt conducted by Matthew Jackson on March 09, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Leavitt reflects upon her 33-year career as an elementary school teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District from the 1970s to the 2000s. She discusses her experience as a teacher and principal, her approach to school administration, and challenges that she faced such as being a principal at the time of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. She also discusses some of her best experiences while being principal and the environments of different schools.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Terry Wood conducted by Gretchen Schraeder on November 14, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the interview, Wood describes her childhood in Dearborn, Michigan and the racial discrimination there. She describes meeting her husband and moving to Dallas, Texas for his job with General Dynamics. Wood describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and her life working and living in the downtown area. She details the restaurants, shopping, and gaming in the area. She also provides accounts of attending shows and meeting famous entertainers primarily at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sanje Sedera conducted by Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on April 16, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Sanje Sedera discusses growing up in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, with his family. He shares his educational history, moving from Sri Lanka to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia as a high schooler to learn English before immigrating to the United States to attend Idaho State University. Sedera discusses the political unrest and civil war that took place in Sri Lanka between the Tamil and Sinhalese people, and how he grew to appreciate political activism instilled in him by his paternal grandparents. Sedera shares his employment history working as a manager for K-Mart, an opportunity that brought him to Las Vegas, as well as his entrepreneurial pursuits of owning a mortgage business and becoming a realtor. He talks about the financial crisis of 2008 that led to losing his business, his attempts to run for public office, and how he helped to form Nevada's Asian American Democratic Caucus. Sedera concludes with a discussion of his Buddhist practice and how these philosophies have shaped his life.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Qiong X. Liu conducted by Claytee D. White on June 08, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Liu discusses her upbringing in Beijing, China and later Shanghai, China. She recalls receiving a full scholarship to attend the University of Arizona, her initial reactions to arriving to the United States, and moving to North Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999. Liu talks about the Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas, population growth, and the increase of homes being built in the area. She explains the importance in diversifying the North Las Vegas economy and supporting local businesses. Lastly, Liu lists financial challenges that North Las Vegas has faced and her work as City Manager for North Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jeanne P. Chretien conducted by Cynthia L. Reeves on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Chretien discusses her early education, first occupations, political activity, and involvement in groups such as the Girl Scouts in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also talks about her religious activity, enrolling into Nevada Southern University (now known as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), and the changes in Las Vegas over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marion Brooks conducted by Kathleen Kasmier on February 24, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Brooks talks about working in mining at Blue Diamond and some of the professional mining societies he was a part of. Brooks also discusses the environmental, economic, and demographic changes he saw in Las Vegas, Nevada throughout the decades.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles A. Bennett conducted by Michael E. Kulwin on March 05, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Bennett discusses early gaming figures, real estate, Howard Hughes, and casino development. Bennett also weighs in on the Carol Lombard plane crash tragedy, and the early atomic bomb tests conducted in Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Warfel conducted by Dennis McBride on March 11, 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Warfel discusses his personal history and his experiences as a gay priest within the Episcopal Church. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and interviewing for a ministry job at Christ Church. Warfel describes same-sex blessings and marriages in the Episcopal Church and the pressures of vestry approval that he dealt with during his career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Cathrine Abrigo conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on July 20, 2022 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Abrigo describes her early life in the Philippines, where she attended Catholic school and briefly studied medical technology in college. She describes immigrating to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and the difficulty of leaving her immediate family behind. She discusses working for the Cosmopolitan in 2011 and becoming deeply involved with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Throughout the interview, Abrigo talks about religion, food, and her activism with the Culinary Union.
Archival Collection