Oral history interview with Diane C. Kneeland conducted by Claytee D. White on May 19, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Kneeland discusses the history of Las Vegas, Nevada and how the city has developed. Kneeland discusses her husband, William Coulthard, a former state assemblyman; the casinos she would visit on the Las Vegas Strip; and volunteering in the Junior League. Lastly, she describes life in Las Vegas during the 1950s, the entertainment available in Las Vegas, and nuclear weapons tests.
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Oral history interview with Don Burse conducted by John Grygo on March 01, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Burse discusses his personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with his family in 1971. He talks about his mother's employment as a maid at the Thunderbird Hotel, describes recreational activities he participated in, and the close-knit community in West Las Vegas. Burse discusses the increase of gangs and drugs in West Las Vegas and how it negatively affected the community. Later, Burse recalls starting his own personal security business, receiving his business license in 1995, and the growth of his company. Lastly, Burse talks about the Culinary Workers Union strike at the Frontier Hotel and Casino and the importance of union jobs to Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Beverly Minnear conducted by Regina Goings on April 15, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Minnear reflects upon her more than 30-year career with the Clark County School District (CCSD) as a speech therapist and school administrator from 1970 to the time of the interview in 2003. She describes the process by which she began working in special education, and eventually became principal at John F. Miller and Variety Elementary School. She discusses the responsibilities that she faced as principal, and how her school operations compared to different schools within CCSD. She discusses the importance of working relationships between teachers, administrators and parents, and how such relationships impacted the learning environment.
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Oral history interview with Emilia Marquez conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón on July 5, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Claytee D. White and Emily Lucile are also present during the interview. Emilia Marquez was born in the United Stated and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, where her father worked as a bricklayer, until the age of twelve, when her father decided to move the family back to Uruguay. She describes acclimating to her new life in middle school and her shift from being perceived as an outsider in Uruguay to accepting Uruguay as home. She describes life in Uruguay and the positions that her family held while living there. After meeting and marrying her husband they trained to work in a casino. She trained as a slot machine operator, and her husband trained as a dealer. This eventually led them to leave Uruguay for the U.S. After the encouragement of her father and mother, she moved with her mother to Las Vegas to work in the casino industry. She describes working as a change person at the Luxor before moving to the newly opened Palms, where she worked until she left it to work at the Wynn. She ends the interview talking about various Uruguayan dishes and traditions, and a brief history of Uruguay. Subjects discussed in this interview: Uruguay, immigration, Las Vegas Strip, Latinx, Luxor.
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Oral history interview with Evan Blythin conducted by Patricia van Betten on September 26, 2006 for the History of Blue Diamond Village in Nevada Oral History Project. Blythin opens his interview by discussing his early life on an Arizona ranch and his decision as a young adult to pursue higher education, which led to his PhD in philosophy and communications. He then talks about his move to Nevada in the late 1960s to teach communications at Nevada Southern University, now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his work to develop the communications department at the university. Later in the interview, he discusses his family's move to Blue Diamond Village from Las Vegas, Nevada, and the community's transition after the Blue Diamond Mine ceded control of the village to the inhabitants. He also talks about his work with the Blue Diamond Recreation Association and his artwork.
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Oral history interview with Charles Silvestri conducted by Claytee D. White on December 31, 2012 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Silvestri begins by discussing his family history and his personal history in the United States Army during the 1950s. He describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1957 after leaving the army, working as a casino dealer at The Mint Hotel and Casino and California Club while attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, called Nevada Southern University at the time. Silvestri then describes attending the University of Nevada, Reno to finish his degree and moving back to Las Vegas to begin his career as a teacher. Lastly, he talks about life in Las Vegas, entertainment in the city, race relations in Las Vegas during the 1960s, and the middle school that was named in his honor.
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Oral history interview with Mike Velardo conducted by his son, William Velardo, on March 15, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Velardo discusses his career in the gaming industry in Las Vegas, Nevada. Velardo describes the history of casinos and gambling in Las Vegas, including how those industries have changed since he first moved to the city in 1957. He goes on to discuss the cost of entertainment, cheating in casino games, and the benefits of the design of the Caesars Palace pit, where Velardo is a casino manager.
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Oral history interview with Juliana Chen conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on March 21, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Juliana Chen shares her upbringing in Hunan, China and her experiences as a teenager training to become a professional ballet dancer. She discusses her rigorous training and troupe career that ended when Chen sustained a knee injury. With a desire to try something new while still being able to perform, Chen immigrated to Vancouver, Canada and began practicing magic. Chen shares that although she didn't know anyone or speak English, she practiced her craft and broadened her knowledge by joining professional organizations including the International Brotherhood of Magicians. After winning several magic competitions, Chen performed on the Las Vegas Strip at Caesar's Palace and the Riviera Hotel and Casino. She shares her current professional pursuits, her connection to the Las Vegas magician community, and her thoughts on Chinese culture and cuisine.
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Oral history interview with Dr. Bruce E. Miller conducted by Pauline MacDonald on May 11, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Miller reflects upon his roughly 40-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1950s to the 2000s. He discusses his experiences as a teacher at J. D. Smith Middle School and Rancho High School, and his approach to education and school administration. He discusses student cultural diversity, school integration, curriculum changes, and standardized testing. He also describes his regular job responsibilities and challenges, and offers suggestions for how to be a successful school administrator.
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Oral history interview with Mary Leo conducted by Rafael Reyes-Spindola on February 27, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Mary Susanne Kaime Leo moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952. In the interview, Leo discusses community interactions during her childhood, as well as her employment with the Tropicana Las Vegas and the Riviera Hotel & Casino in the restaurant and sales departments. She also discusses the lifestyles of showgirls she interacted with.
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