Oral history interviews with Will Vicuna conducted by Stefani Evans on June 23 and July 3, 2023 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In the first interview, Vicuna goes into detail about his family's history, and his parents' life in Quezon, Philippines. When his brother sent Will a postcard of the newly opened Hilton Hotel and Casino, Will decided he would move to Las Vegas as soon as he completed his psychology degree in 1970. He concludes the first interview discussing his employment at the Hilton and the Flamingo Hilton, his 1972 marriage, and his 1973 UNLV graduation in Hotel Administration. In the second interview, Vicuna talks about his wife, Felicidad, who graduated from University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila in Medical Technology. He shares details about her career, and then talks about his own career in hospitality, working in a number of Las Vegas hotels including the Hilton and Flamingo Hilton, Palace Station, Peppermill Mesquite, and the Golden Eagle in Pahrump. Throughout the interviews, Vicuna discusses family reunions in Las Vegas, shopping for Filipino food, and eating at various restaurants around town. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Eivind T. Scoyen was the first permanent superintendent of Zion and Bryce National Parks in the 1920s. (https://books.google.com/books?isbn=080471682X; foreword)
He was also the superintendent of Glacier National Park, Montana, from Jan. 16, 1931 to Dec. 31, 1938, (https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/tolson/histlist7g.htm)
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Oral history interview with Courtney Mooney, Paul Huffey, Michael S. Mack, Jack Levine, and Chris Giunchigliani conducted by Suzanne Becker on May 30, 2009 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood. In this interview, Mooney, Huffey, Mack, Levine, and Giunchigliani discuss living in the John S. Park neighborhood in Las Vegas, Nevada. They talk about changes in the neighborhood, Huntridge Circle Park, and the Huntridge Theater. The participants describe the design of their houses, and house renovations done in the area.
Archival Collection
Harold Stocker was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 8, 1900. He and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1911. Harold Stocker operated Nevada Silica Sand Company in Overton, Nevada, from 1932 to 1940. He was elected to the Clark County Commission in 1938. In 1939, he built the Chief Hotel Court, and in 1948, the Desert Plaza Apartments. Stocker was state GOP chairman in the 1950s. Harold died January 9, 1983 in Las Vegas.
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A famous aviator who set a number of speed records in aviation throughout the 1930's, Roscoe Turner was born in Corinth, Mississippi on September 29, 1985. He was the only person to win the Thompson Trophy Races for aviation in 1934, 1938, and 1939. He also worked in the film industry, including as a stunt pilot for Howard Hughes' Hell's Angel's (1930). Turner was well known for pet Gilmore the lion, over the top persona, and his pet lion, Gilmore, who attended the premiere of Hell's Angel's (1930).
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Fred Kennedy was a character and stunt actor known for his more than twenty-five years of experience. Born on December 22, 1909 in Ainsworth, Nebraska, Kennedy performed stunts in films including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Red River (1948), and the Howard Hughes-produced The Conqueror (1956).
Kennedy died on December 05, 1958 in Natchioches, Louisiana while filming The Horse Soldiers.
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