Jillian Hrushowy arrived in Las Vegas in 1959 as part of a company hired to appear at the El Rancho Vegas Hotel in a production called La Nouvelle Eve. She has remained here (other than three short-term contracts in Reno, Nevada) until present day. She is now the production manager for Legends in Concert at the Imperial Palace Hotel. She was an only child, born in Rhodesia to English parents and raised in a home with servants and tutors. Her mother exposed her to the arts at an early age. Jillian took dancing lessons from the age of three years until she began dancing professionally. When she was fifteen years old, both parents agreed it was time for her to leave Rhodesia and finish her education in England. Living alone was difficult and lonely, but it afforded her a wealth of opportunities otherwise unavailable. She worked as a dancer in small, local productions while still in high school. When only eighteen, she got a job dancing in La Nouvelle Eve in Paris which eventually came to Las Vegas. This interview focuses on the years from Jillian’s arrival in 1959 until she retired from dancing in 1979. It follows her transitions from dancer, to principal dancer to production manager. [The first twenty minutes of the tape is warped and the text is garbled. The transcriber has lightly edited the transcript.]
Shawn Willis (1972 - ) grew up in a culturally diverse area outside of Detroit, Michigan. She has made Las Vegas her home since 2004. Since moving to Nevada, she ?acknowledged? her Judaism and built a robust network within the Jewish community as an entrepreneur and tireless leader. From 2015 ? 2017, she held the position of Director of the Jewish National Fund of Las Vegas. The Jewish National Fund is a worldwide organization that was founded in 1901 to meet the strategic challenges of building in Israel and developing the infrastructure for ecology, special needs and heritage preservation. Among the local initiatives that Shawn led was a program on water conservation. In this oral history, Shawn candidly speaks of being a convert to Judaism. She also shares how she introduced herself into the Las Vegas community in a vibrant way through her marketing expertise and business. Shawn currently serves on the UNLV Foundation?s President?s Associates Council and is an active person in the Las Vegas community. Shawn is a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy.
The K. O. Knudson Photographs (approximately 1920-1969) depict the Las Vegas Grammar School and service, fraternal, and veterans organizations gathered by retired Las Vegas, Nevada school administrator and World War I veteran K. O. Knudson (also known as K. Oscar Knudson). The collection includes images of Knudson, Las Vegas Masonic Lodge members, American Legion members, and school dances. The photographs primarily feature Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Robert L. Forbuss papers (1945-2011) are comprised of the personal papers of Las Vegas, Nevada educator and businessman, Robert L. "Bob" Forbuss. The collection materials include photographs of Forbuss throughout his life, including his early childhood, as well as some photographs of his mother, Marjorie Forbuss, during the 1940s and 1950s. The collection documents Forbuss's early childhood through adulthood and includes materials such as personal correspondence and Forbuss's baby book. There are also papers documenting Forbuss's professional life including his involvement with local politics and businesses. The collection includes records for J&B Strategic Alliances, LLC., a consulting company that he co-founded with former Las Vegas mayor, Jan Jones.
The Nevada Consolidated Copper Company Records (approximately 1907-1978) contain the business records of the company, including correspondence, freight bills, ledgers, maps, leaching data, and books relating to mining. The majority of the records post-date the company's name change to Kennecott Mining Company.
The Charles P. and Delphine Squires Papers from 1882 to 1964, with bulk dates from 1905 to 1964, contain book and short story manuscripts, articles, press releases, newspaper clippings, and radio scripts written by Squires and his wife, all relating to their early life in Las Vegas. Also included are report cards, certificates, Parent Teacher Association material, Mesquite Club records and church activity materials.
The Syphus-Bunker Papers date from 1891 to 1994, with the majority of the collection consisting of correspondence between Mary Etta Syphus and John Mathieson Bunker from 1891 to 1895. The collection also contains correspondence from friends and relatives, and documentation related to Mary Etta Syphus' attendance at Brigham Young Academy Church Normal Training School. Other materials include family history information and two color photographs of family homes. The collection also includes typed transcripts of the correspondence.
The Toni and Wilbur Clark Photographs depict Las Vegas, Nevada casino owner and land developer Wilbur Clark and his wife Toni from 1910 to 1975. The photographs primarily document Wilbur and Toni Clark at the Desert Inn, the hotel and casino Wilbur co-owned. The photographs also depict him with politicians and entertainers, and Wilbur and Toni Clark’s house in Las Vegas.