Oral history interview with Eugene Buford conducted by Claytee White on September 12, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview Eugene Buford talks about his great grandmother, Mary Nettles, who was instrumental in the start and growth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) in Las Vegas, Nevada. He speaks about his experiences with prejudice and discrimination, while reflecting upon what it was like being an African American growing up in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with James Sparrow conducted by Lonnie McDonald on March 09, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sparrow discusses his personal history and the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Sparrow discusses life in early Las Vegas, how Las Vegas has changed, and the development of the Strip. Sparrow also discusses race relations in Las Vegas and the establishment of the Nevada Test Site.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard Hooker conducted by Claytee D. White on June 10, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Hooker discusses his work as an artist and cultural practitioner for the City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs. He recalls his background in political science and his employment with the Nevada Arts Council. Hooker then describes the projects he was involved with, including preserving neon signs and the formation of the Neon Museum.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert Cannon conducted by an unknown interviewer on April 7th, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cannon recalls his contribution to the Pacific Northwest promotional campaign, being on the Board of Directors at the Chamber of Commerce, and being a member of the Convention Authority. He also mentions working with Bobby Calhoun, Maxwell Kelch and the Earl Brothers. He describes Las Vegas, Nevada as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stan Irwin conducted by Cork Proctor on August 24, 2003 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. In this interview, Irwin talks about his early life performing comedy in nightclubs, hotels, and casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, writing comedic material, his military service, starting a family, and racism in the Las vegas entertainment industry in the 1950s and 1960s. He also discusses his work as vice-president and executive producer for Sahara Nevada Corporation, bringing The Beatles to Las Vegas, Nevada when all other hotels refused to do so, and the band's appearance at the Las Vegas Convention Center. He continues talking about being a comedian, actor, and special materials writer and his life since retirement.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Carlson conducted by Alice Brown on March 19, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Dr. William Carlson speaks about his experience working at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Carlson, who joined UNLV in 1957, provides his accounts on the history of the university library. Carlson also talks about some of the first librarians who were a part of the library, the funding and donations used to build and develop it, and the eventual construction and architecture of the James R. Dickinson Library.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gloria Dixon conducted by Claytee D. White on May 2, 2022 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Dixon recalls her childhood growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dixon attended St. Christopher and Bishop Gorman High School, and recalls her parents' involvement in the New Jerusalem Church. Dixon discusses writing grants to help with community education programs, and using her experience as a hospice nurse for the last thirty years to help communicate information about public health crises. Throughout the interview, Dixon shares information about the businesses in the Las Vegas Black community on Jackson Street.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ernest O. Crawford conducted by Michael Crawford on October 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Ernest discusses Stewart Ranch, Kyle Ranch, Boulder (Hoover) Dam, Fremont Street, and the changes that Southern Nevada had during the construction of the dam.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tyrone Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on August 25, 2006 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Williams discusses arriving at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and his various jobs there. He recalls that blacks were not welcome on the Las Vegas, Nevada Strip unless they were going to work in one of the hotels or casinos. Williams then describes joining the Executive Housekeepers Association. The interview concludes with a short discourse on social life and positive aspects of life in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Wilma Noyes conducted by Claytee D. White on April 11, 2007 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Noyes discusses her personal history and life in Las Vegas, Nevada from the 1920s onward. She describes moving to Las Vegas with her family in 1921 after her father got a job working for Union Pacific Railroad Company. Noyes explains how the railroad provided housing to its workers and what life was like in that housing. Noyes discusses attending the first schools in Las Vegas, one of them having had Maude Frazier as its principal. Noyes then describes what young people did for entertainment in Las Vegas, including dancing and going to movie theaters. Lastly, she discusses the history of the casinos and how the city has changed.
Archival Collection