Joseph Thiriot is a longtime Las Vegas resident who served the community as an educator. He was born in 1906 in Provo, Utah; one of five sons bom to George W. and Elvira Thiriot. He has vivid memories of moving about, including living in Idaho where his father sold a typing machine , a forerunner to the typewriter. Eventually the family moved to a ranch in Pahranagat Valley, Nevada, where the limits of educational opportunities compelled his paients to send him back to Provo to finish his education while living with family there. Gaining a teaching certificate enabled Joseph to teach in rural Nevada. He completed his degree at the University of Utah and after meeting Las Vegas Superintendent Maude Frazier he relocated to Las Vegas to become a teacher. He reminisces about his life and the changes that have occurred over the years in Las Vegas.
Deanna Stefanelli and her family moved to Las Vegas when her husband John Stefanelli accepted a position as a professor in Food and Beverage at UNLV. She took a part-time job in the admin office of the university's library in 1981. It was also an ideal time for her to return to college to finish her degree. Eventually she became full-time and enjoyed the growth and change of UNLV and the library. Deanna recalls the physical and personnel changes of the library. She describes some of the fun activities that kept them a close work community—from the Friends of the Library to book sales and pancake breakfasts, to a newsletter and learning to make sushi with Myoung-ja Kwon.
The Mesquite Club Records (1911-2016) contain the organizational files of the Mesquite Club, the oldest women's service club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Materials include meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, committee reports, newsletters, scrapbooks, and photographic prints and negatives. The records document the club's administrative structure, community service projects, social events, and relationship with the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC).
The Chester R. Longwell Professional Papers (1886-1974) document Longwell's professional career as a geologist and his pioneering field work in Clark County, Nevada. Included are Longwell's field notes; manuscripts, articles and speeches related to geology; personal and business correspondence; professional publications; subject and name files; specimen tags; photographic prints, negatives, and slides; and geological and topographical maps, primarily of Nevada, California, Arizona, and Utah.
The Claudine Williams Papers (1956-2009) contain awards, contracts, personal and business correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs pertaining to Las Vegas, Nevada businesswoman and philanthropist, Claudine Williams. The collection also includes extensive information on her hotel and gaming properties, including the Silver Slipper Gambling Hall, Holiday Casino, and Harrah's Hotel and Casino, as well as her honorary doctoral degree, medals, and audiovisual materials of interviews, news reports, and events.