Oral history interview with Gwen Weeks conducted by Perry Kaufman on November 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Weeks describes early Las Vegas, Nevada and the changes the city went through. Weeks also talks about segregation, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the different living conditions between communities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Cahlan conducted by an unknown interviewer in 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cahlan discusses the Nevada Test Site and the role of Basic Magnesium for the atomic testing. Cahlan additionally discusses the image of Las Vegas, Nevada as the entertainment capital of the world and the work of journalism in shifting the image to the recreational aspects of the area, such as Lake Mead and Mount Charleston.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Clarence Ray conducted by Eleanor L. Walker in 1991 for the African American in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Ray provides details of his ancestry and upbringing, his education, and race relations in the western United States before 1930. He then moves on to his first visit to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1922, and his movements before settling permanently in the 1940s. He explains that the main source of employment for the relatively small Black population during the 1920s and early 1930s was the railroad, but a number were also in business. Mr. Ray provides thumbnail sketches of many of the early residents, and is particularly informative about "Mammy" Pinkston, Mary Nettles, the Stevens family, and the Ensley family. Systemic racial discrimination against Blacks developed in southern Nevada during the 1930s, and Mr. Ray provides some useful details on this along with his discussion of his career in gaming and his social and political activities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Olivia Meneses conducted by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach on September 18, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Olivia Meneses describes growing up in Mexico City and attending la Universidad Iberoamericana during the 1968 student movement that culminated in the Tlatelolco massacre. She discusses migrating to the United States in 1983 and moving to Las Vegas in 1985, where she began teaching Spanish to kindergarten students.
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Oral history interviews with Tyrone L. Seals conducted by Claytee D. White and Sarah Beth Hawkins on April 25, 2016 and May 16, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In the first interview, Seals discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Westside. He talks about experiencing discrimination, employment limitations, and entertainment on Jackson Street. In the second interview, Seals remembers school integration, organizations for African American women, and protests during the 1960s. Lastly, Seals discusses the significance of religion in the African American community and becoming a pastor.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lois Cox conducted by Mitch Cox on March 18, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Lois Cox discusses her experiences growing up in and living in Nevada. Cox first discusses her family background, growing up Basque, and her educational and employment backgrounds. She then describes her career in the Clark County School District and the changes in school and student activities over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dorothy O’Donnell George conducted by Claytee D. White on October 13, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. George discusses serving as a nurse during World War II in Hawaii, Okinawa, and Japan. She also discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and working as a nurse. George then discusses Las Vegas, the Helldorado Parades, atomic bomb testing, and her family picnics at Mount Charleston.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ann Snavely conducted by Claytee D. White on January 08, 2015 for the West Charleston Neighborhoods: an Oral History Project of Ward 1. In this interview, Snavely discusses her upbringing in Pennsylvania and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1960s. She talks about living in Glen Heather Estates and moving to the Scotch 80s neighborhood. Lastly, Snavely describes community events in the Scotch 80s, changes in the West Charleston area, and the construction of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nel Downing conducted by Scottie Rector in the 1970s for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Downing first talks about the first properties in the Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada area before talking about the forms of transportation available in Las Vegas. She also talks about her work with the Clark County Housing Authority, the development of Henderson, some of the early churches, and the beginnings of gambling in Henderson. She then discusses gambling, life in Nevada, the Helldorado parade, and inflation over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lucille Matyas conducted by Michael Bernstein on February 23, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Matyas discusses moving from Ohio to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1935. Matyas also discusses her work with the Southern Nevada Telephone Company, the Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co., Inc. (REECo) in association with the Nevada Test Site, her life as a housewife, and her work with the Central Telephone (Centel) Corporation.
Archival Collection