Oral history interview with Carol Leavitt conducted by Nathan Miller on October 28, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Leavitt reflects upon her 35-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 2000s. She discusses her experiences working at several middle and high schools, though she highlights her experience as dean of Valley High School in the 1970s, and as principal when she returned in the 1990s. She discusses changes that she witnessed within the school, as well as the school district in general such as student expectations, violence, and standardized testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ashok Mirchandani conducted by Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on March 11, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Mirchandani discusses his early life in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002. He talks about Indian traditions he celebrates and Indian festivals in the United States. Mirchandani recalls his employment with the State of Nevada, becoming the Director of the Department of Business and Industry, and advocating for small businesses. Later, Mirchandani describes the importance of minorities in politics, engaging in policy making, and the need for Asian Americans in public services. Lastly, Mirchandani discusses the model minority myth, developing the Nevada Home Retention Program, and emphasizes children’s mental health.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ethlyn Barneby conducted by Claytee White on October 16, 2002 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. During this interview Barneby discusses her experiences as a resident of Boulder City, Nevada during the 1940s. Barneby also discusses life with her husband, a member of the National Guard, and her husband’s employment as an operator for the City of Los Angeles, California during the construction of the Hoover Dam. She also describes their experiences moving back and forth between Boulder City and Los Angeles as well as the growth of Boulder City in relation to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sylvester Collier conducted by Claytee D. White on May 17, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Collier discusses his early life in Dallas, Texas. He talks about his interest in art, joining the United States Air Force in 1951, and being sent to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Collier recalls attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), earning a master’s degree in education, and teaching art classes in the Clark County School District (CCSD). Later, Collier discusses starting the Left of Center Art Gallery, and describes some of his art pieces. Lastly, Collier talks about his experience as an African American artist.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gene Segerblom conducted by Layne Karafantis on February 07, 2009 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. In this interview, Segerblom begins by discussing her family and her education at the University of Nevada, Reno and her marriage. Segerblom moves on to describe her career as a freelance writer and her husband's career as a photographer and their collaborations over two decades. Segerblom also discusses her teaching career and daycare business. Finally, Segerblom talks about her time as a city councilwoman for Boulder City, Nevada, including the issues she represented and the city projects she worked on.
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
Oral history interview with Barbara Mowry conducted by Jon Sedlacek on February 16, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mowry describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from California in 1949 to get a divorce, before remarrying and entering into the restaurant business with her new husband. Mowry discusses buying an established restaurant, the Villa Venice, with her husband, and the eventual fire that would destroy the restaurant in 1952. Mowry describes running the restaurant, the different kinds of recreation in Las Vegas during the 1950s, and how Las Vegas has changed since she moved there. Mowry also discusses the prejudice against African Americans in Las Vegas, and how her husband would have to let in African American performers such as Sammy Davis Jr. or Pearl Bailey through the back door of their restaurant.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hermina Washington conducted by B. Leon Green on March 02, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Washington discusses her career with the State of Nevada, working under different governors, and raising her three sons with her high school sweetheart. Washington also discusses her various residences on the Westside over the years, her role of church growing up, and changes of Las Vegas, Nevada as a city.
Archival Collection