Dr. Tom Wright was born and grew up in Illinois. His father finished his PhD in Chicago and then taught at Illinois College in Jacksonville. His mother suffered from arthritis and was told to seek a warmer climate, so John Wright packed up his family and moved to Las Vegas. Tom was 14, ready for high school, and his two brothers were elementary school age. Tom attended Las Vegas High School, which was close to the Crestwood community where the family had purchased their first home. He remembers that UNLV had no buildings when his dad first started teaching there. Instead, he conducted class in high school classrooms and church Sunday school rooms. Dr. Wright started off at a community college as a Geology Major, but a class with Bud Poland convinced him that history was his passion. He transferred to Pomona to continue his bachelor's degree. He spent his junior year in Peru on a study-abroad program, and that experience made him a Latin Americanist. The information he gath

On March 15, 1981, collector David Glasco interviewed card dealer, Alexander Grayson (born March 27th, 1952 in Durham, North Carolina) in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview covers the black experience in Las Vegas. Mr. Grayson also discusses prejudice, racism, education, and entertainment. Additionally, he recalls relocating to Las Vegas from North Carolina with his family when he was a child, as his father was in the Air Force.

On February 28, 1980, Paul Gentle interviewed Luella Knuckles (b. 1910 in Impolla, Texas) about life as an African-American in Las Vegas, Nevada. Knuckles talks to Gentle about the conditions that African-Americans lived in and the discrimination they faced when first arriving to the city. Knuckles, in particular, spends a portion of the interview discussing the segregated layout of Las Vegas and the jobs and opportunities that were available for the black community in a segregated town. Moreover, she provides anecdotes about her deceased husband’s employment, their experience buying and repairing a property by themselves, and the changes in attitudes as the city desegregated. The conversation later focuses on the Church’s place in the African-American community, education and participation in church activities, and Knuckle’s personal love for books and Bible study.

On March 16, 1978, Susan Vogel interviewed Helen Cecil (born November 4, 1916 in Silver City, Utah) in her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. She relocated to Las Vegas with her parents for health reasons. This interview covers family life, education, employment and the growth and development of Las Vegas. Helen attended Las Vegas High School and then went on to work at the Las Vegas High School for many years, an accomplishment that she is extremely proud of. During the interview she also mentions the Boulder Dam, the Old Ranch, and the Westside.

On March 4, 1975 collector Gregory T. Hafen interviewed his father, Kent (Tim) Hafen (born April 17th, 1932 in St. George, Utah) at his ranch home in Pahrump, Nevada. This interview covers the history and development of Pahrump from 1951 to 1975. Kent relocated to Pahrump, Nevada in 1951, after living in Mesquite, Nevada from 1932 to 1951. Kent was a local farmer.