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 Patricia Marchese conducted by Helen F. Knorr on February 24, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Marchese discusses her life in Morehead, Kentucky before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her administrative work with the City of Las Vegas, the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, the Allied Arts Council of Southern Nevada, and the KNPR Nevada radio station. Marchese also discusses the cultural future of Las Vegas, her reactions to this future as a parent, and the value of the city's image to citizens and visitors.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marie Padgett conducted by Tori Ascolillo on April 30, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Padgett discusses her family moving from Arkansas to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955. Padgett discusses her involvement in local organizations including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the Women's Council, and the Allied Arts Council. She later discusses changes in Las Vegas such as the building of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the growth of the Strip, World War II, and atomic bomb testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with George Wallace conducted by Claytee D. White on April 10, 2009 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Wallace begins the interview by discussing his upbringing in Atlanta, Georgia, his extensive family, and attending college at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio to study transportation. He describes having a career in advertising in New York City, New York before moving to Los Angeles, California, where he made the career transition into stand-up comedy. Wallace details his career as a successful comedian, writing for The Redd Foxx Show, going on tour with musicians such as Diana Ross and Tom Jones, and having his own running show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other topics of discussion also include Wallace's friendship with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld, being awarded "Best Male Comedian" by the American Comedy Awards in 1995, and the changes Wallace has noticed in comedy and African American culture.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia Marchese conducted by A. D. Hopkins on July 02, 1999 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal First 100 Oral History Project. In the interview, Marchese discusses her parents and her early life in Tampa Bay, Florida, her husband and children, and arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1972. She talks about her work in serigraphy (screen printing) with the United States Bureau of Reclamation while in Las Vegas. Marchese also recalls her work with the City of Las Vegas and Clark County developing art and cultural programs including Jazz Month and the Las Vegas Junior Symphony. Other subjects Marchese covers include art exhibits, performing arts, and the growth of the Las Vegas art community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Kenneth Frogley conducted by Perry Kaufman in an unknown date in 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Frogley discusses politics, Las Vegas, Nevada as a western town, hotel and casino industry growth, Helldorado parades, and his work as the first manager of the Desert Sea News Bureau (later known as the Las Vegas News Bureau).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rowena Gonzalez conducted by Michael Boyd on March 01, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Gonzalez first talks about her family background and residential history before discussing the way of life in Texas and eventual move to Las Vegas, Nevada. Several topics covered in the interview include Gonzalez’s recollections of the atomic testing, the building of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam, and Howard Hughes. The two also discuss tourism, the properties on the Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas, and early means of transportation.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alfred Guzman conducted by Barbara Guzman on March 01, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Guzman first talks about his occupational history, including his career in public relations for the Sands Hotel and Casino. He then talks about Las Vegas, Nevada, including social changes, changes in the gaming industry, and mob influence in the casinos. He also talks about Reno, Nevada, how his job affects the public, and the MX Missile system.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Valorie J. Vega conducted by Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez on November 19, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Vega discusses her upbringing in Van Nuys, California. She describes her father’s employment with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, her attendance at California State University, Northridge, and majoring in Spanish with a minor in Chicano studies. Vega recalls entering a master’s program for Spanish interpretation, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1978, and becoming a supervisor for court interpreters. Later, Vega talks about enrolling in law school at the University of Southern California (USC), working as a Clark County deputy attorney, and later becoming a judge. Lastly, Vega discusses her experience being a female Hispanic judge, and her involvement with the Huellas Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Abraham Gomez conducted by Elsa Lopez on December 06, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Gomez discusses growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada and explains why his parents decided to settle in Las Vegas. He talks about attending Saint Christopher Catholic School, Bishop Gorman High School, and College of Southern Nevada (CSN). Gomez recalls transferring to the University of Nevada, Reno, becoming an ambassador for the GEAR UP program at Nevada State College (NSC), and explains the importance of programs like GEAR UP for first generation low-income students. Later, Gomez describes his involvement with the Nevada Partnership of Homeless Youth (NPHY) and his work as a member of the Men of Color subcommittee at NSC. Lastly, Gomez talks about his position as College Navigator for the Nevada Treasurer’s Office.
Archival Collection