Oral history interview with Robert Skaggs conducted by Dr. David Emerson on May 06, 2006 for the UNLV @ Fifty Oral History Project. Skaggs discusses teaching engineering at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, starting in 1969. He also discusses being involved in getting accreditation with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Inc. for the engineering college, establishing a chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and building an engineering master's and a PhD program.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ron Textor conducted by Claytee D. White on July 24, 2007 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. In this interview Ron Textor describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981, playing with the Norm Geller orchestra at the Sands, and playing with the Al Ramsey Orchestra at Caesars Palace. He also discusses being contracted with the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra and teaching mathematics at Clark High School for twenty years.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Brad Friedmutter conducted by David Schwartz on September 12, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Friedmutter shares how he develops his architectural projects, his philosophy of design, and the future of urban planning and casino design. He also recalls various owners and designers he has worked with: Henry Conversano, Homer Rissman, Roger Thomas, Donald Trump, Kenny Wynn, and Steve Wynn.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alexander Zapata conducted by Nathalie Martinez on February 15, 2020 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Zapata discusses growing up in Caracas, Venezuela. He describes Venezuelan traditions he participated in, becoming a news reporter, and earning a journalism degree in Venezuela. Zapata talks about his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2015, his early impressions of the city, and obtaining positions at
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Saul Willis conducted by Claytee D. White on January 14, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Willis discusses his personal history and moving from Sondheimer, Louisiana to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968. He talks about living in West Las Vegas, nightlife entertainment in the area, and community leaders at the time. He then recalls the increase of drug use in the Westside, being incarcerated for a year, and starting an automobile mechanic business. Lastly, Willis discusses his experience with the Las Vegas court system and the continued development of the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lynn Smith conducted by Aylwin Tai on March 04, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Smith begins by discussing why he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968, his religious affiliations, and musical entertainment in Las Vegas. He talks about his family, his affiliations with different social organizations, and the expansion of Las Vegas. Smith describes the insurance industry in Las Vegas from his perspective as an insurance adjuster. He concludes by discussing how Las Vegas has changed economically and elaborates on his job responsibilities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Delon Potter conducted by Eleanor Christoffersen on February 3, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this brief interview, Potter, a Mesquite, Nevada native, talks about his birth in 1909 and his move to Las Vegas in 1933. He describes the early town and some of the more notable inhabitants including "Pop" Squires, working at the Winterwood Ranch at the base of Sunrise Mountain, as a sheep herder near Kaolin, Nevada, and later as a construction worker at the Hoover Dam. After the war, Potter explains that he tried running his own ranch in Utah before moving back to Henderson, Nevada, working for U. S. Lime and trading horses throughout Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dolly Kelepecz conducted by Claytee D. White on April 29, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Kelepecz discusses her career as a ballet dancer, a performer in a circus, and a showgirl and dancer in Las Vegas, Nevada, especially in the Lido at the Stardust Hotel and Casino. She also discusses her time as a model, a pilates instructor, and running the Opus Dance ensemble. Kelepecz then discusses teaching a class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Yolanda Scaggs conducted by Thomas Walker on March 02, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Scaggs discusses air conditioning, the railroad, and atomic bomb testing. Scaggs talks about the growth of Las Vegas, Nevada, specifically the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. She also mentions former President John F. Kennedy, mining, and the growth of Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Archie Curtis conducted by Lawrence R. Biggs on March 07, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Curtis discusses athletics in Nevada, racial discrimination on the Las Vegas, Nevada Strip, social and environmental changes, and the local health effects of the early atomic tests.
Archival Collection