Oral history interview with Nathaniel Whaley conducted by John Grygo on March 06, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Whaley talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada and his adult life on the Westside, the historic Las Vegas neighborhood. Whaley discusses having a successful high school career as an accomplished athlete and being an Eagle Scout in the first black Boy Scout troop in the area. Whaley talks about going on to have a fruitful career as a mason and contractor that helped build the city of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carmen Mahan conducted by Nathalie Martinez and Barbara Tabach on November 18, 2019 and August 19, 2020 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project.
Carmen discusses her personal history growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia and her professional aspirations in her present work; she is the founder of the Colombian Association of Nevada, a former member of the Professional Latina Women organization in Las Vegas, and has worked with Senator Harry Reid as a representative of the Colombian community related to voting rights and access. Subjects discussed include: Colombian Association of Nevada; National Hispanic Leadership Summit
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Myrna Williams conducted by Suzanne Becker and Joanne L. Goodwin on April 16, 2008, April 21, 2008, and June 15, 2009 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Williams begins her interview discussing her family and their performance background. Williams then discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from New York with her young family. Williams describes her involvement with the local Democratic party and work on election campaigns. She also talks about her work to create a legitimate social work program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Williams also describes her ten year tenure on the Nevada State Assembly and her time on the Clark County Commission. Lastly, she talks about her community activism in the Public Education Foundation and Anti-Defamation League.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with M.J. Christensen conducted by Rick Maggot on October 23, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Christensen recalls living in Las Vegas, Nevada during the crash of Carole Lombard’s plane and describes local reactions to the early aboveground atomic tests. He also discusses family, religious life, and the Mormon Church. Christensen speaks about his time as the head of the Merchant’s Bureau, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and the president of the Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau. He also discusses being an assemblyman for eight years and serving for four years as a senator in the state of Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Yolanda Rayford conducted by Claytee D. White on August 11, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Rayford discusses her personal history and what it was like to have a parent in the armed services during her youth. She talks about living in Tokyo, Japan while her father was stationed there and describes life on the military base. Rayford recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1969 and describes the riots that were happening in West Las Vegas at the time. She goes on to talk about the entertainment on Jackson Street and discusses how Jackson Street was the downtown for the Westside community. Lastly, Rayford talks of her employment at the Nevada Test Site doing clerical work and the future of the African American community in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Forrest Duke conducted by Richard Lloyd Pipkins on March 02, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Duke discusses popular hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada. Duke also talks about entertainment acts and prominent Las Vegas figures such as Howard Hughes. He then discusses labor unions’ problems with hotels and atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Gilbert C. Blaine conducted by Kenneth Fong on February 11, 1975 and March 10, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Blaine discusses the social and economic growth of Las Vegas, Nevada. He also discusses Boulder (Hoover) Dam, Boulder City, Nevada, Lake Mead, the Old Mormon Fort, and epidemics in Southern Nevada. Blaine also talks about organized crime and law enforcement in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Walter V. Long conducted by Patricia Truman on October 19, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Long discusses early buildings and communities around Las Vegas High School, as well as his experiences as a teacher and principal in Las Vegas, Nevada. Long also discusses his early life before coming to Las Vegas, family, education, politics, Boulder (Hoover) Dam, and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jack Ruggles Sr. conducted by Donald Parker on March 15, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Ruggles describes moving to early Boulder City, Nevada in 1931 as a child due to his step-father's supervisory job at the Hoover (Boulder) Dam. Ruggles describes life in Boulder City and later becoming a construction worker and helping to build the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson, Nevada. Ruggles goes on to discuss his career and experiences as a police officer in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the discussion of his career as a police officer, Ruggles describes his participation in maintaining racial segregation in casino properties for casino owners.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Brenda J. Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on May 24, 2013 and June 10, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Williams discusses her personal history and life in Las Vegas, Nevada since she moved there as a child with her family during the 1940s. She describes the diversity of the Westside community she lived in, her family, and the recreational activities she participated in as a young woman. Williams talks about several careers that she has had over the course of her life, such as a telephone operator, hat shop owner, and board member for the Las Vegas Housing Authority before later transitioning to the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority.
Archival Collection