Oral history interview with Patricia Marchese conducted by Helen F. Knorr on February 24, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Marchese discusses her life in Morehead, Kentucky before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her administrative work with the City of Las Vegas, the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, the Allied Arts Council of Southern Nevada, and the KNPR Nevada radio station. Marchese also discusses the cultural future of Las Vegas, her reactions to this future as a parent, and the value of the city's image to citizens and visitors.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marie Padgett conducted by Tori Ascolillo on April 30, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Padgett discusses her family moving from Arkansas to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955. Padgett discusses her involvement in local organizations including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the Women's Council, and the Allied Arts Council. She later discusses changes in Las Vegas such as the building of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the growth of the Strip, World War II, and atomic bomb testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Margo Knowles conducted by Sonny Neighbors on March 25, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Knowles discusses jobs, governors, her family, and African American life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Margo speaks about growing up and going to school in Las Vegas. She also discusses her work as a telephone operator in Las Vegas, and at the Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alma Vining conducted by Christine Carrera on April 10, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Vining reflects upon her 30-year career as an elementary school teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1970s to the 2000s. She describes the process by which she became an administrator, her regular responsibilities, and challenges that she faced. She also discusses school district programs such as No Child Left Behind, bilingual education, and school integration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Carol Baker conducted by Nancy Hardy on May 29, 2003 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Baker talks about her life as an entertainer on the Las Vegas, Nevada Strip, including backstage life, parties, and relationships amongst other dancers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Frank Lamping conducted by Karen Bennett and Nancy Heavey on July 23, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Lamping reflects upon his roughly 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District. He discusses his opening of Thurman White Middle School, programs that were implemented such as computer classes, and challenges that were faced with curriculum changes and standardized programs. He also discusses his personal approach to education, and how his upbringing and experiences shaped his approach.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Juanita Kilburg conducted by Vicente Camacho on March 07, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Kilburg discusses the Boulder (Hoover) Dam, McCarran International Airport, Nellis Air Force Base, living in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Great Depression, and casinos. The interview concludes with a discussion on her work with the American Legion service organization.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Reva Giles conducted by Claytee D. White on July 17, 2006 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Giles discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958, then recalls living on Decatur and the military housing at Nellis Air Force Base. She then discusses moving from Las Vegas to Okinawa, Japan for four years with her husband, and upon his retirement from the military, moving back to Las Vegas in 1964. She also discusses working in various offices at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), retiring and volunteering as an office aide to the UNLV athletic director.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jack Cathcart conducted by Debbie Pfefferkorn on March 01, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cathcart’s interview focuses on the transformations in the entertainment industry in Las Vegas, Nevada during World War II. He discusses the varying entertainment in hotel lounges, different dance styles, and the changes in customer service within these hotels.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sonny Thomas conducted by Barbara Tabach on February 28, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Thomas discusses getting his first funeral home job at the age of 16, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, his series of hotel jobs, and being part of the opening staff of MGM Grand Hotel. Thomas later talks about getting into the funeral industry and the various corporate buyouts of local funeral homes. He later discusses the tradition of African American funerals and his thoughts about segregation in Las Vegas during the 1960s.
Archival Collection