Search Results
Transcript of interview with Sonja Saltman by Barbara Tabach, August 18, 2015
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Included in this oral history are reminiscences of Sonja Saltman's personal non-Jewish heritage in Austria, the importance of her grandmother in her life, and how she recalls becoming part of the Jewish community.
Sonja Saltman is a psychologist and philanthropist in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is executive director and co-founder of the Existential Humanistic Institute, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California that offers training in existential-humanistic therapy and theory. In 2003 Sonja and her husband Michael Saltman founded the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) William S. Boyd School of Law. The Saltman Center is focused on research, teaching, and public service related to "the advanced study of the nature of conflict and how to resolve it." A native of Austria, Sonja Saltman also serves as the Honorary Consul for Austria in Las Vegas. The Saltmans are involved with multiple charitable organizations and initiatives, both locally and abroad. Sonja Saltman has served on the boards of the Anti-Defamation League, Nevada Women's Philanthropy, and the Black Mountain Institute. Projects that the couple has supported include the rebuilding of homes and bridges is Bosnia, and Streetball Hafla, a basketball program to improve relations between Jewish and Arab teenagers in Israel. In 2014 Sonja and Michael Saltman were recognized as Distinguished Nevadans by the Nevada System of Higher Education. Included in this oral history are reminiscences of her personal non-Jewish heritage in Austrian, the importance of her grandmother in her life, and how she recalls becoming part of the Jewish community.
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Transcript of interview with David Dahan by Barbara Tabach, May 26, 2016
Date
Archival Collection
Description
The fascinating life of David Dahan began in Casablanca, Morocco where he was born to Mathilde and Isaac Dahan in 1957. After a hasty departure in 1970 the family came to America and to Las Vegas. Isaac became an administrator for Yellow Cab and Mathilde was a server at the Stardust Hotel/Casino. David evokes a tale of growing up a teenager in a strange culture and then heading out on a solo adventure to learn about the world. By 1977, he fell in love and married an engaging Israeli nurse named Yaffa (1954-2007). Her legacy is the Yaffa Dahan Nursing Education Fund established to assist outstanding PhD nursing students in their dissertation research. Leadership and the energy to always say yes are among David?s many characteristics. He has served on numerous local boards, such as: Nevada Restaurant Association, North Vista Hospital, Touro University, Las Ventanas, Henderson Chamber of Commerce, and the Nevada Law Foundation. He has been the recipient of many awards and acknowledgments for his tireless efforts throughout Las Vegas. Among those is being named the 2005 Person of Influence by In Business Las Vegas. From 1997 ? 1999, he served as President of the Jewish Federation during which time he led a trip to Russia. He is past chair of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs) Committee. In 2007, David was honored as Mensch of the Year at Congregation Ner Tamid. In this interview he recalls his family?s escape from Morocco, learning to adjust to life in Las Vegas and his early jobs in the restaurant business. With his roots firmly planted in Las Vegas, David has built strong relationships within the Jewish and general Las Vegas communities. David is the Chief Executive Officer of Orgill/Singer Insurance. His life experiences have fueled passions for his faith, cooking, photography, poetry and his daughters, Shana and Michelle.
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Al McDaniels interview, February 28, 1980: transcript
Date
Archival Collection
Description
On February 28, 1980, Rodney Goosby interviewed Al McDaniels (b. 1940 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) about his life in Las Vegas and his career as an athletic coach. McDaniels, referred to as Coach by Goosby, speaks primarily about his time as a coach for track and field at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, his community involvement and the city’s recreational activities. Moreover, McDaniels speaks about his education and his current research as he works on a doctoral degree in physical education. Lastly, he talks about the city’s growth and the move from empty desert spaces to housing and shopping center constructions.
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Pom Fritz oral history interview: transcript
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Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Pom Fritz conducted by Kristel Peralta and Stefani Evans on June 8, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Pom talks about her family and upbringing in Udon Thani, Thailand and her immigration to the United States with her second husband, an American citizen, in 1972. She discusses living on Air Force bases in North Carolina and California before moving to Las Vegas and finding work at different hotels. Pom shares her experiences as a member, steward, and executive board representative of the Culinary Workers Union and what she recalls from the Frontier Strike. She also talks about her children and grandchildren, some of whom still live in Thailand.
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University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) 39th commencement program
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Archival Collection
Description
Commencement program from University of Nevada, Las Vegas Commencement Programs and Graduation Lists (UA-00115).
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Marisa Rodriguez oral history interview: transcript
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Marisa Rodriguez conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón, Monserrath Hernández and Claytee D. White for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Marisa Rodriguez discusses her childhood and living in North Las Vegas as a teenager; she was born in Chicago, Illinois, moved to Mexico with her family at a young age, and returned to the United States at age 12. She recounts what it was like acclimating to American life, learning English, and studying abroad in Spain before becoming a law student. Marisa attended the William S. Boyd School of Law and is currently a civil litigator in Las Vegas. Subjects discussed include: La Voz Hispanic/Latino Law Students Association at the William S. Boyd School of Law; Huellas mentorship program.
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Photographs of MGM Grand signs, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site name: MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
Site address: 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: MGM Mirage
Sign details: The MGM Grand is host to several types and numbers of signs around the exterior of the property. These types include the MGM lion logo and text which adorn the tops of the towers, a multimedia pylon sign, a golden monument sculpture of a lion which serves as the main entrance, and several smaller textual signs that denote parking and entrances.
Sign condition: Structure 5 Surface 5 Lighting 5 Notes: The MGM's signage is excellent repair, being a less than a decade old. The structure is intact, as well as all the lighting, and surface.
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère
Sign-specific description: The property contains different types signs including Pylon, sculpted three-dimensional signs as well as building front logos. The pylon sits along the East side of Las Vegas Blvd, just north of Tropicana Blvd, and faces north /south. Constructed as if to appear as different sized towers from the emerald city, the double backed pylon contains the MGM Lion Logo in a backlit steel cabinet and the Letters "MGM" at the top in gold polished channel letters with horizontal bars of Neon. Directly beneath that sit two message centers one being an animated color LED screen on the left, and the one on the right being a backlit plastic advertisement screen. Located beneath the two screens the phrase The City of Entertainment in all capital polished gold aluminum channel letters with neon running horizontally across the diameter of the letters. The sculpted three dimensional lion structure sits on the North East corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana and faces to the Southwest. The statue appears to be made of polished gold and is surrounded by an impressive array of fountains, which are illuminated themselves. The statue is ambiently lit from underneath with spot lighting and the glow of the fountains. Serving as a backdrop for the structure, an impressive wall of multicolored incandescent bulbs form a concave geometric canvass that wraps the corner of the building. This wall is separated into different sized fields by square columns of similar height. Sitting atop each of the columns is a statue of a man holding a giant urn upon his back. The statuary is lit from underneath with ambient lighting similar to that of the lion sculpture. The bulbs animate in a subtle waving pattern that gently creates the illusion of a rippling of the surface.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Matrix; Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic; Fiberglass; Masonry; Glass
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The V-shaped red channels on the silver main pylon chase each other downward toward the ground. The main text on the pylon animates as well. The letters light up one at a time with red neon from left to right as the arrows continue to chase downward. The logo/text sign located above the giant replica of the Harley Davidson, animate as well. The incandescent bulbs which fill the text, spelling the name of the establishment, oscillate, steady burn, then shut off, and then restarting the sequence. The letters that spell cafe on the lower portion of the sign animate in concert and with the same sequence as the main text.
Sign environment: The MGM Grand dominates the corner on which it sits. Headed west on Tropicana toward the Strip the property casts a green glow but not too electrifying. Once you reach the corner you can't help but be overwhelmed by standing underneath the looming golden lion and the bustling fountains. Facing the structure from the corner, the facade becomes a canvass of dancing light and water. Look up toward the strip the giant pylon booms the golden letters "MGM" and busy LED screens.
Sign - date of installation: Property was opened in 1993 but signage was changed in 1998
Sign - date of redesign/move: The original sculpted lion entrance was replaced in 1998 with a new trophy style sculpture. With the original sphinx structure, patrons passed trough the mouth of the lion into the main lobby of the hotel. Guests and visitors now pass around the pedestal on which the lion sits upon.
Sign - thematic influences: The exterior of the MGM Grand Hotel incorporates the themes of the movie industry for which the name is so prominent. Most specifically the Wizard of Oz's Emerald city theme. The structure is designed to look as such with the base color of the building being emerald green as well as the pylon structures and attached buildings such as the parking garage. The font and MGM lion logo are represented with gold coloring referencing Oz's yellow brick road. The statue is reminiscent of an Academy award also referencing the industry which the name is so familiar with.
Sign - artistic significance: The establishment joins the era of themed modern Vegas resorts with its front spectacle, super pylon and aesthetic which is entirely encompassed by its theme.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Oscillating; Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Matrix; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Fiberglass; Masonry; Glass
Mixed Content
Meeting minutes for Consolidated Student Senate, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, September 26, 1978
Date
Archival Collection
Description
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The Wheel of Rotary Las Vegas Rotary Club newsletter, December 22, 1949
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Archival Collection
Description
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The Wheel of Rotary Las Vegas Rotary Club newsletter, January 12, 1950
Date
Archival Collection
Description
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