Oral history interview with Sylvester Collier conducted by Claytee D. White on May 17, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Collier discusses his early life in Dallas, Texas. He talks about his interest in art, joining the United States Air Force in 1951, and being sent to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Collier recalls attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), earning a master’s degree in education, and teaching art classes in the Clark County School District (CCSD). Later, Collier discusses starting the Left of Center Art Gallery, and describes some of his art pieces. Lastly, Collier talks about his experience as an African American artist.
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 Rachel Gibson conducted by Kay Long and Caryll Batt Dziedziak on August 25, 1998, September 01, 1998, September 14, 1998, and April 07, 1999 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Gibson opens her interview discussing her family's migration history, living in Yerington, Nevada, and her immediate family. Gibson then describes her life in Tonopah, Nevada. She talks about education in the area, the social clubs, and recreation activities available. Gibson then discusses her elementary school teaching career and ends her interviews describing her family life and life in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s and 1950s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Shirley Harlan conducted by Claytee D. White on November 17 and 18, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Harlan opens her interview by discussing her upbringing in a small town in California during the Great Depression. She then discusses career limitations for women at the time she entered college and her decision to study social studies. Harlan then recalls why she and her partner moved to Beatty, Nevada in 1968 and what the town was like at the time. Harlan then specifically discusses the local library, including what kind of services were offered, and how she collaborated with other residents to move the library from the town hall to an converted school room. Harlan describes programs offered by the library, the bookmobile, and the budget challenges the library faced, including how a reduced tax base in Beatty reduced funding. She recalls important town figures, aboveground atomic testing, and tourism. Harlan then talks about unethical hiring practices in northern Nevada governments, being deputized by a female sheriff and supporting her anti-corruption agenda. She then discusses her appointments to government commissions and different board administrations. Lastly, Harlan describes education in Beatty, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jerry Tao conducted by Kristel Peralta, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on March 26, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Tao discusses his family’s background in China and Taiwan, and his upbringing in Virginia. He talks about his parents’ decision to assimilate their children to the American culture, not participating in Chinese traditions during his youth, and racial discrimination he experienced as an Asian American. Tao remembers attending law school at George Washington University, becoming a speechwriter for United States Senator Harry Reid, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1998. Later, Tao talks about being appointed to the Eighth Judicial District Court in 2011 and to the Nevada Court of Appeals in 2014 by Governor Brian Sandoval. Lastly, Tao compares Chinese family culture and American family culture.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gerri Schroder conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Jerwin Tiu, and Stefani Evans on September 2, 2022 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Schroder discusses her childhood in both California and Michigan. She discusses attending Orange Coast College, and later moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband for a job opportunity. Schroder first began her community invovlement by participating in the Henderson Beautification Planning Commission. She gradually became more involved in several community activities including campaigns, commissions, and committees. Amongst them was Bill Clinton's presidential campaign and the National League of Cities. Schroder carried out three terms as Councilwoman and continues to work with the local and national community on issues that she finds most valuable, including the Las Vegas water crisis, women's rights, and public safety.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lily Teo conducted by Stefani Evans on February 7, 2022 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Lily Teo discusses her upbringing in Singapore, her education, her religious beliefs, and converting from Buddhism to Catholicism. She talks about her husband, her early married years, and what life was like as a young mother of three children. Teo shares how she started a catering business to feed construction workers and was responsible for shopping for ingredients, preparing all meals and tea, and cooking the food on site in her temporary kitchen. She talks about her children, the faiths they practice and languages they speak including English, Malay, and Mandarin, and the customs and traditions they practice, such as celebrating Lunar New Year and other holidays. Lily's daughter, Stella, sits in on the interview and expands on her mother's recollections.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edwina Danzinger conducted by Leanne Terry on February 26, 1980 and February 29, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Danzinger first talks about her family’s early upbringing in Nevada, her involvement in Boy Scouts and her various positions of employment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Danzinger also discusses the changes in the crime rate, air pollution, and the changes made to the university by the Buckley Amendment.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert “Bob” Brown conducted by Ian McLaughlin on February 23, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Brown discusses his background in the food business working for various hotels and restaurants in the city. Brown discusses some of the developments of the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, including the opening and closing of various casinos, as well as issues relating to the increasing crime rate, rise in air pollution, and growth in population in the city. Brown also mentions some of the entertainers from the Strip such as Wayne Newton and Frank Sinatra, and he describes the various recreational activities available to Las Vegans in and around the city. The interview concludes with Brown’s discussion about how means of transportation have evolved and how the city has grown since he moved to Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ashok Mirchandani conducted by Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on March 11, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Mirchandani discusses his early life in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002. He talks about Indian traditions he celebrates and Indian festivals in the United States. Mirchandani recalls his employment with the State of Nevada, becoming the Director of the Department of Business and Industry, and advocating for small businesses. Later, Mirchandani describes the importance of minorities in politics, engaging in policy making, and the need for Asian Americans in public services. Lastly, Mirchandani discusses the model minority myth, developing the Nevada Home Retention Program, and emphasizes children’s mental health.
Archival Collection