Oral history interview with Sachiko Young conducted by Mikaela Nettlow on December 5, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Sachiko shares her upbringing in Fukoka, Japan and how she and her family moved frequently as a child. She talks about meeting her husband, an American military man, while visiting family in Tokyo. Sachiko discusses their marriage and birth of their child, their move to San Jose, California, and their travels back and forth from Japan before settling in Las Vegas, Nevada. She shares stories of visiting casinos with friends, working in hotel coffee shops, and what life was like for her and her family. Sachiko also talks of how she and her husband both faced racial prejudice from their families and the difficulties of learning English as a second language.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Joe W. Brown conducted by Claytee D. White on November 19, 2018, January 11, 2019, February 06, 2019, and June 18, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In these interviews, Brown discusses his early life and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968. He remembers becoming a District Court law clerk, and being appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the State Justice Institute and the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States. Brown talks about his involvement with charitable organizations, being a commissioner for the Nevada Gaming Commission, and founding the Nevada Military Support Alliance. Lastly, Brown discusses the development of his law firms in Las Vegas, being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law degree by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and receiving the Outstanding Alumnus Award by the Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Mahamed Youssouf conducted by Barbara Tabach on August 06, 2013 and August 13, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Youssouf discusses his childhood in Harar, Ethiopia and living there during the Ethiopia and Somalia conflict in the late 1970s. He recalls the Russian invasion into Ethiopia and the communist agenda that was enforced as a result. Youssouf then describes his involvement in student and community led protests and how he ended up in a refugee camp in Djibouti. He talks about his life in Djibouti as a tailor and his struggles finding permanent refuge. Youssouf discusses his acceptance into the United States as a refugee, arriving in New York, New York in 1980, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985. Lastly, Youssouf talks about his store in North Las Vegas, Uniform Plus, and the African American experience in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Goldie Spicer conducted by Elmer Herren on February 12, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Spicer discusses working as a cocktail waitress. She also talks about the boom that Las Vegas, Nevada went through when the first casinos were being built, and when the construction of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam occurred. She discusses El Rancho, Twin Lakes, and the Taylor Ranch.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Harold Smith conducted by Troy Durham on July 08, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Smith discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1943 and recalls his first impressions of the city. Smith also talks about his employment at the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson, Nevada. Finally, he discusses the development of Fremont Street, recreational activities, and the Las Vegas Strip.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Woodrum conducted by David Schwartz on June 12, 2006 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. In this interview, Woodrum discusses his career in gaming operations. He begins by mentioning how he grew up in Kentucky and has lived through World War II. He also explains how gaming regulations vary throughout the United States. Woodrum states that one of his first jobs was working in the sales and marketing category for the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino. He then speaks about gambling and its changes over the years.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Albert Datke conducted by Joe Toscano on Octocber 2, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. He discusses atomic testing, economic and environmental changes, and getting to shake hands with President Eisenhower when he visited Las Vegas, Nevada. A Mormon and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mr. Datke discussed having an active church and religious life, including serving as financial clerk and historian clerk for the church.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Florence Schroeder conducted by DeAnn E. Hunt on March 08, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Schroeder discusses her employment with the Extension Service as a home demonstration agent in Southern Nevada. She also describes her employment as a teacher in Clark County and Lincoln County, and explains her involvement with the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Later, Schroeder discusses the education system and social life in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Madeleine and Will Bradley conducted by Claytee D. White on October 11, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Madeleine Bradley and her son Will discuss their familial ties to Henry Benjamin Cave, a Confederate soldier, by his widow Daisy Cave. Madeleine and Will talk about the Civil War, life in South Carolina compared to Nevada, and Will's occupation as a pilot. Will also shares his experiences with the military and serving during Operation Desert Storm.
Subjects discussed include: Confederacy; Daisy Cave; Civil War pension.
Archival Collection