Mark Hall-Patton, administrator of Clark County Museums and since 2008 a frequent guest on the popular cable television show Pawn Stars, was born in 1954 in San Diego, California. His mother was a registered nurse and his father served in the United States Navy. From early childhood, Mark’s interest in history and museums shaped his path in life. After graduating high school in Santa Ana, California, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in history at nearby University of California, Irvine. Degree in hand, Mark worked for Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and founded the Anaheim Museum in 1984. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993 to create the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum in McCarran International Airport. By 2008, Mark had become administrator over all Clark County museums. In this interview, he explains the various ways his involvement with the popular Pawn Stars program has turned “the museum guy” into a brand, introduced production companies to the value of filming in Las Vegas, increased Clark County museum visits and donations, and raised popular awareness of the academic fields of history and museum studies.
The black and white view of men assembling a truck loaded with old telephone booths for Howard Hughes arrival in New York. Typed onto a piece of paper attached to the image: "Telephone company "goes to town" for Hughes' arrival, New York City -- Something had to be done to take care of the thousands of potential telephone users who crowded Floyd Bennett Field, July 14th, for the arrival of Howard Hughes and his daring crew on their dash Around the World, so the New York Telephone Company, well aware of the fact that the few phones at the field couldn't possibly accommodate, the officials, police, and spectators, "went to town" with a truck loaded with old telephone booths. A line was quickly strung and the phones in the booths on the truck were plugged in. The business was rushing and the phone company was well rewarded for its enterprise. Credit Line (ACME) 7/14/38."