Oral history interview with Allen Sharpe conducted by Patricia Holland on May 10, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sharpe discusses arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1929 and moving into one of the first homes in North Las Vegas. He then talks about the expansion of West Las Vegas and the increase of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Lastly, Sharpe discusses his job as a painter and recalls experiences in the painting business.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gloria Hewitt conducted by Claytee D. White on June 21, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Hewitt discusses her early life in Cleveland, Ohio. She recalls attending Talladega College in Alabama, her teaching experience in Chicago, Illinois, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1991. Hewitt talks about her interests in politics, organizing an event to register people to vote, and being a founding member of the Southern Nevada Coalition of Concerned Women (SNCCW). Lastly, Hewitt discusses the importance of education and parental involvement in schools.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Byron Thornton conducted by Kay Harris on October 27, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Thornton discusses his personal history and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1931. Thornton then recalls working for the Las Vegas Gas Company and starting his own concrete business. Lastly, Thornton describes installing petroleum gas tanks and pipes inside of homes used for testing atomic bombs at the Nevada Test Site and recalls the destruction caused by the explosions.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Elaina Blake conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 19, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Blake discusses being the first woman elected to head the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. She also discusses serving as vice chairman and chairman of the Clark County Planning Commission. Blake then talks about her involvement with the United Way, saving the YMCA from closure, and the Focus School Project in 1989. She then discusses working with major local builders such as Pageantry Homes, Heers Brothers, and Christopher Homes. Blake lastly discusses creating Blake and Associates and becoming became a real estate developer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edward C. Perkins conducted by Judith Plaster on November 03, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Perkins discusses his personal history after moving to Boulder City, Nevada in 1942 following his employment by the United States Bureau of Mines. Perkins discusses the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson, Nevada and magnesium's uses during World War II, gold mines in California and Nevada, and other mining operations throughout the state of Nevada. Perkins also discusses his career with the United States Bureau of Mines and life in Boulder City.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Phillip L. Cook conducted by Richard Strahan on March 3, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cook first talks about his parents' move to Nevada and discusses how the school system has changed over time. He then describes the first businesses that opened up in the Downtown and Strip areas of Las Vegas, Nevada before discussing prostitution, Block 16, and recreational activities available to youth. Cook also talks about the first television sets and telephone systems made available, and he moves on to talk about the prices of things such as movies and haircuts when he was younger. The interview then moves to discussions on the Old Ranch, racial discrimination, school integration, the crime rate, and the school system in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Chris Erbe conducted by Jennifer Warner on November 15, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Erbe reflects upon his more than 20-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD). He discusses the process by which he became a teacher, and describes how his experiences as a teacher shaped his approach to school administration. He describes his regular responsibilities as principal, some of his biggest challenges including safety threats, and what he believes makes an effective administrator.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jesse Scott conducted by Claytee D. White on June 29, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Scott describes growing up in Louisiana and his initial involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as vice president of the youth council. He recalls positions he held beginning in the 1970s with the Las Vegas NAACP branch as an executive director, executive director of the Equal Rights Commission, and later, president of the Las Vegas NAACP.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lisa Hank conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 31, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Lisa discusses her move to Las Vegas in the early 1990s from California for a job with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and her current position as head of the Police Employee Assistance Program (PEAP). Lisa talks about the night of October 1 and the aftermath of the shooting, both in her work and personal life. She is the wife of Charles Hank III, police officer and another interviewee for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Subjects discussed include: well-being in aftermath of 1 October; PEAP preparation; healing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Herb Tobman conducted by Stephen Tidwell on April 23, 1986 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, Herb Tobman discusses his upbringing in the Bronx, New York, his Russian-Jewish ancestry, and his service in the United States Navy. He talks about his move to Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife in 1952 and his employment history, starting with his ownership of a used furniture store and the Western Cab Company; his executive casino work as general manager of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and the Aladdin Hotel and Casino; and as president of the Stardust Resort and Casino and Fremont Hotel and Casino. Tobman shares his involvement in the community, how the city of Las Vegas has grown and changed, and the happiness he and his family have experienced living in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection