Oral history interview with Bill and Jim Mason conducted by Stefani Evans on March 15, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project and the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Bill and Jim discuss their upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada. They talk about their Jewish heritage, attending Kit Carson Sixth Grade Center, and their participation at Temple Beth Sholom. Bill and Jim recall working for their father’s construction company, Taylor Construction, some of the construction projects they were involved in, and taking ownership of the company in 1999. Lastly, Bill and Jim describe the growth of the Jewish community in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Norman Ty Hilbrecht conducted by Sherry Angell on July 2, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hilbrecht discusses his life in Southern Nevada and changes that he has observed during his time living in the state. The two discuss how Hilbrecht originally came to Las Vegas, Nevada, schools that he attended, and educational changes in law practice. Hilbrecht also discusses his political activities and the sudden influx of newcomers to Nevada. The interview concludes with discussion of changes to Southern Nevada after World War II and natural disasters that Hilbrecht has experienced in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Helen Jamison Baker conducted by Rod Lotspeich on March 12, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Baker discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1932. She talks about housing at the time, Six Companies, Inc., and the development of Boulder City, Nevada in the 1930s. Baker describes the construction of the Hoover Dam, and the increase of convention centers in Las Vegas through the 1960s and 1970s. Lastly, Baker compares living in Henderson, Nevada to her past experience living in Boulder City.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dianna and Gerald Davis conducted by Claytee D. White on May 6, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project.
Gerald Davis was falsely arrested on a Sunday afternoon in October 1969, leading to a three-day riot in the Black Westside community of Las Vegas. The Davis' discuss this event as well as their respective backgrounds and past experiences living in Las Vegas, including the businesses they supported, the places they visited, and their employment history.
Subjects discussed include: 1969 riot; Jackson Ave; Officer Arrington; Westside School; and Charles Wyatt
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Andrew Jackson III conducted by Claytee D. White on September 26, 2000 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Jackson discusses his family background and his early life in Arkansas and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the late 1940s. He remembers the Cotton Club on the Westside, entertainers performing on the Westside, and racial tensions in Las Vegas at the time. Jackson talks about being a casino dealer at the Moulin Rouge, its closure in 1955, and integration on the Las Vegas Strip. Lastly, Jackson discusses being the only African American dealer at a major Las Vegas hotel, and the switch from privately-owned casino properties to corporate ownership.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rabbi Sanford Akselrad conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 7, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Rabbi Sanford Akselrad discusses the response of the Jewish community of Congregation Ner Tamid to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He discusses the healing service he led the day after the shooting, how the community paid respect to the victims, and the concert held to raise money. In addition to the actions of the Jewish community, Rabbi Akselrad discusses the congregation's work with the interfaith community to heal from this tragedy.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Kathia Quiros Pereira conducted by Monserrath Hernández on March 6, 2020 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Pereira discusses her personal history and immigration from Lima, Peru to the United States. She also talks of her educational background as a student at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her current work as a founding partner of Pereira Immigration Law Group where she exclusively practices immigration law in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Edith Fernandez conducted by Marcela Rodriguez-Campo and Claytee D. White on September 27, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Fernandez discusses her upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Charleston Heights neighborhood. She recalls living in a predominantly white community, and the growth of Latinx families in that area. Fernandez talks about her educational experience in the city, her father's involvement with Culinary Worker Union Local 226, and identifying as a Chicana American. Later, Fernandez remembers her involvement with opening the Cambridge Center, working with the Latino Youth Leadership Conference (LVLC), and becoming the District Director for Representative Steven Horsford. Lastly, Fernandez discusses her role as the Associate Vice President at Nevada State College (NSC).
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Oral history interview with Owen Earl Cox conducted by Mark Milford on March 6, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Owen Earl Cox first talks about his early relocations to Nevada. He then discusses his career at the Basic Magnesium Inc.. Cox also talks about his family, the Mormon Church, and managing his store, Vegas Village. Cox then discusses crime, his hobby of cattle ranching, and his views on the growth of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stella and Claude Parson conducted by Emily Powers on February 26, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Stella and Claude Parson both discuss black history, discrimination in Reno, Nevada and Las Vegas, Nevada, and opportunities for African Americans in Nevada. Stella Parson discusses being the first African American student to graduate from University of Nevada, Reno. Claude Parson discusses his involvement in United States Air Force, living on Nellis Air Force Base, and being a minister in his church.
Archival Collection