Oral history interview with Ashley Hall conducted by Claytee D. White on September 2, 2015 and September 22, 2015 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Hall discusses being the city manager of Las Vegas, Nevada during the early portion of the development of Summerlin, Nevada by the Hughes Corporation. He also discusses his earlier life before politics, pertaining to Nevada Trench Safety.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Henry Shepherd conducted by Claytee D. White on October 22, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Shepherd discusses being an African-American bartender on the Las Vegas, Nevada Strip, hired as a result of the 1971 consent decree. He also recalls memories of Jackson Street, the homes in North Las Vegas, and the hotels in downtown Las Vegas and on the Strip.
Archival Collection
Archival Component
Archival Component
Oral history interview with Robert Maheu conducted by K. J. Evans on April 19, 1999 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal First 100 Oral History Project. In this interview, Maheu discusses Howard Hughes and attempts by Bill Gay and associates to take Hughes' business. Maheu then discusses his career in the FBI and CIA before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Finally, Maheu talks about working for Hughes.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Bob Stoldal conducted by Claytee D. White on May 22, 2014, May 23, 2014, and March 3, 2016 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In these interviews, Stoldal discusses his upbringing in California before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1957. He talks about pursuing a career in journalism including working at Channel 3 and Channel 8, his interest in history, and involvement with cultural organizations including the Nevada State Museum, the MOB Museum, and Las Vegas Centennial Commission. Stoldal comments on the experiences of African Americans in Las Vegas including the 1969 Westside protests, sixth grade centers, and the treatment of entertainers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Guy Hamblin conducted by Barry Merrell on February 22, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hamblin discusses moving from different towns in Nevada before settling down in Southern Nevada, viewing the above-ground atomic bomb tests, early Fremont Street, and his work on the railroad. Hamblin also discusses the demographic and economic changes that he has seen in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mark Brandenburg conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 22, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Brandenburg discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his stepfather’s involvement with the opening of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, becoming a co-owner of the property in 1990, and joining other downtown properties to form the Fremont Street Experience. Brandenburg describes the challenges in competing with mega-resorts on the Strip, modernizing the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, and weaving the history of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino with that of the more recent Fremont Street Experience. Lastly, Brandenburg discusses the monetization of the street, and the future of the Fremont Street Experience.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ruth Poirier conducted by Joanne Goodwin on February 05, 2003 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Poirier opens her interview by discussing her partner Doris Pressler, who had passed away before the interview. She describes Doris' upbringing, her role in the first band at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, and explains how an all-women band in the 1930s and 1940s was a phenomenon. Poirier then discusses her own history, including how she became involved in music and all-women bands, and how she met Doris. Poirier describes in detail the importance of music to her family, the types of music she played, and what it was like to be a musician during the Depression. She talks about her relationship with Doris and recalls early interactions with other gay youths. Poirer ends her interview explaining why she and Doris decided to settle in Las Vegas, Nevada, and describes their impressions and involvement with the local LGBTQ+ community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Valorie J. Vega conducted by Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez on November 19, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Vega discusses her upbringing in Van Nuys, California. She describes her father’s employment with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, her attendance at California State University, Northridge, and majoring in Spanish with a minor in Chicano studies. Vega recalls entering a master’s program for Spanish interpretation, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1978, and becoming a supervisor for court interpreters. Later, Vega talks about enrolling in law school at the University of Southern California (USC), working as a Clark County deputy attorney, and later becoming a judge. Lastly, Vega discusses her experience being a female Hispanic judge, and her involvement with the Huellas Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Archival Collection