Oral history interview with Rodney Sumpter conducted by Dennis McBride on August 30, 1999 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Sumpter discusses his involvement with repealing one of Nevada’s sodomy laws (NRS 201.190) in 1985. He recalls going to the Nevada State Supreme Court and discusses similar cases involving sodomy laws in the United States.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bertha Gresh conducted by Gary Eagleson on November 30, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Gresh discusses the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Gresh then talks about mining and offers details surrounding specific mines, such as the Black Hawk Consolidated or Ran [Rand] Mine, the Techatticup Mine, the Wall Street Mine, and the Duncan Mine. Gresh then discusses the early days of Boulder City, Nevada and Henderson, Nevada. She also briefly mentions Block 16.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jack W. Zunino conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on August 20, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Zunino tells of his employment with G.C. Wallace Engineering and JMA architects before founding his own landscape architecture firm in 1989. Additionally, Zunino discusses the evolution of landscape architecture in casino design.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paul Velez conducted by Barbara Tabach on February 22, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Paul Velez, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus officer, discusses his experience at the Thomas & Mack Center during the night of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He shares his goal of creating a safe atmosphere for the survivors and providing them with all of their needs, including helping separated survivors find their loved ones and friends. Velez also describes his move to Las Vegas in 2008 and his time with the New York City police force, talking about his experience as a first responder at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attacks. He discusses the effect these attacks have had on general and campus security measures and on him as an individual.
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Oral history interview with Ray Ruff conducted by Scott Benjamin on March 13, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Ruff discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from Chicago, Illinois in 1954. Ruff also discusses his employment and the environment at the Desert Inn Hotel. Ruff later discusses golf and Las Vegas politicians.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edward Vance conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on September 16, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Vance discusses his upbringing in Redfield, South Dakota. He talks about his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987, teaching architectural drawing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and the first projects he worked on in Las Vegas. Vance describes the financial aspects of architecture, the challenges of meeting building regulations, and benefits that new buildings bring to city life. Lastly, Vance discusses founding Ed Vance & Associates Architects.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jocelyn Oats conducted by Claytee D. White and John Grygo on November 30, 2012 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Oats discusses her family background and living in Las Vegas, Nevada since the mid 1950s. She describes the city at the time, the Baptist church community, and the church's influence on African Americans in West Las Vegas. Later, Oats talks about the issue of drugs in the Westside community and how it has affected members in her family. Lastly, Oats describes the African American experience in Las Vegas throughout her life.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard "Dick" Richards conducted by his son, Rick Richards, on February 21, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Richards describes his own personal history and the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Most notably, Richards describes his time working as a dealer in casinos owned by the mob and his interactions with individuals involved with organized crime.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tom Wright conducted by Claytee White on February 14, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas History Project. Wright opens his interview by discussing his family history and his education. He then describes what the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was like in the 1960s and his father's experiences working at the newly established university. Wright then recalls his own experiences at UNLV in the history department as a "Latin Americanist" professor and dean. He also discusses Latin American history and his dissertation about Chilean politics.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Eleanor Walker conducted by Claytee D. White on June 03, 2004 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Eleanor Walker discusses serving as President of the Las Vegas, Nevada Chapter of the NAACP in the early 1970s and holding several jobs throughout her lifetime, being among the first black individuals to hold a position in many of the companies for which she worked. She also talks about how she was a pioneer as a black woman in the Las Vegas community.
Archival Collection