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.
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Oral history interview with Joe Burton conducted by Bob Barrera on March 11, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Burton discusses his frozen food manufacturing business’ procedures and practices, and how the equipment he used changed over the years. Burton also talks about how he felt about the Mafia running the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. He also weighs in on the MX missiles being located in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Margaret D. Colton conducted by John C. Isham II on October 03, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Colton discusses her arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada and shares the story of how Searchlight, Nevada became a mining town after Colton’s husband's grandfather, George Frederick Colton, struck gold in the Superstitution Mountains. She also talks about the growth of mining in Searchlight. Throughout the interview, Margaret D. Colton is often referred to as Mrs. Gordon Colton.
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Oral history interview with Jerome J. Vallen conducted by James Shaw on February 27, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Vallen discusses his career as the dean of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Hotel Administration College, a position he occupied at the time of this interview. Vallen discusses program funding, how UNLV's program compares with Cornell University's hotel administration program, and the difficulty the university faced establishing a program with newer educational concepts compared to some other majors which had been around for much longer, such as the math or sciences departments. Vallen then explains how they assisted students in finding jobs in the hotel industry, as well as his plans to grow the program and construct a dedicated building for the program on campus.
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Oral history interview with Monica Gresser conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on September 20, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gresser discusses her upbringing in El Campo, Texas and her initial interests in architecture. She recalls attending Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, designing sustainable buildings, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001. Gresser talks about gentrification in the Las Vegas downtown area, low-income communities, and the environmental conditions in disadvantaged areas. Later, Gresser describes her focus on developing transitional housing for military veterans and unhoused individuals, hostile architecture, and the issue of poverty across the United States.
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Oral history interview with Erick Spiess conducted by Gretchen Spiess on June 29, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Spiess discusses the history of the Nevada Test Site, and briefly discusses Las Vegas, Nevada history. Spiess describes his career as the technical liaison at the Nevada Test Site working for EG & G, Inc. and the research performed there, including the model town built to observe the effects of a nuclear weapon on an urban area. Spiess goes on to discuss how Las Vegas residents reacted to the testing, and how Las Vegas has changed.
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Oral history interview with James A. Matlock conducted by Clinton F. Whidden on November 13, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Matlock discusses moving from Oklahoma to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1949, as well as his work as a United States Air Force supply inspector and Teamster supervisor. Matlock also discusses the Helldorado parade, the El Rancho Vegas, atomic testing, and the closing and reopening of Nellis Air Force Base in 1950.
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Oral history interview with Joy Rineer conducted by Stefani Evans on December 01, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Rineer talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She recalls her educational experience in Las Vegas, attending the University of Utah, and studying architecture. Rineer explains how architectural education, internships, testing, and licensing processes have evolved over time, and how these processes formerly limited opportunities for women in architecture. Rineer also reflects on projects she has worked on personally, her employment with architecture firm Simpson Coulter Studio, and the firm's emphasis on community-anchored architecture. Lastly, Rineer discusses planning for schools, and changing classroom layouts to accommodate different learning styles.
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Oral history interview with Rakesh Bhatnagar conducted by Claytee D. White on April 10, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bhatnagar discusses his early life in India. He remembers immigrating to the United States, enrolling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and earning a degree in hotel administration. Bhatnagar talks about his employment at the Las Vegas Hilton as a busboy, becoming captain in the room service department, and being selected to be Director of Purchasing in 1982. He describes transferring to the Sands Hotel and Casino, working with Sheldon Adelson, and obtaining a position at Vegas World. Lastly, Bhatnagar discusses starting his company, Hospitality Procurement and Design.
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