Ivory H. Blue II was born and raised Las Vegas, specifically in the Westside neighborhood projects during the 1980s and 1990s. He describes his early childhood and what he remembers as a strong sense of community. Though grade school had its challenges, Ivory excelled in sciences and came under the watchful mentoring of Dr. Eugene McGaugh, a professor at UNLV. Ivory graduated with a master’s degree and has a long career already with NV Energy. Theresa Harris, Ivory’s mother, was from Hawthorne, Nevada and his father, Ivory Blue I, was originally from Edwards, Mississippi.

On February 27th, 1979, Pamela Atkins interviewed Vivian Harwell in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harwell begins the interview by explaining her reasons for moving to Las Vegas from Arkansas, and the type of living quarters that she had. She then goes on to talk about the recreation in Las Vegas in addition to the Nevada Test Site and local politics. The two later discuss the convenience of having local colleges available in Las Vegas and the availability of children’s activities in Las Vegas. The interview concludes with Harwell’s personal reflection on her time living in Las Vegas, and that she does not regret moving to Las Vegas.

From the Lincy Institute "Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic" Oral History Project (MS-01178) -- Community organization interviews file.

Not many sixteen-year-olds assume the roles of father and mother to three younger siblings (one an infant), graduate from high school on time, and earn a full-ride scholarship (plus a loan) to a prestigious university. One such sixteen-year-old was Washington, D.C., native DeRuyter O. Butler, Executive Vice President of Architecture, Butler/Ashworth Architects, Ltd., LLC, and formerly Executive Vice President, Architecture, of Wynn Design & Development, LLC, and Director of Architecture, Atlandia Design & Furnishings, Inc. Determined to do right on behalf of his siblings and himself, Butler recruited his grandmother and enrolled in Catholic University, earning his B.S. in Architecture in 1977 while working overtime at the U.S. Post Office, buying a house in Maryland, and supporting his family. His first professional job in Philadelphia required him to rethink his living arrangements. Partnering with his sister, who assumed childcare duties during the week in Maryland, Butler lived in New Jersey during the week and commuted to Maryland on the weekends. After four years in that position and a short stint of being unemployed, in 1982 he became a draftsperson for Steve Wynn's Atlandia Design in Atlantic City. After he had worked with architects Joel Bergman and Paul Steelman in Atlantic City for four years, Wynn moved Atlandia Design to Las Vegas. Butler followed in 1986, bringing with him his grandmother and his youngest brother. In this interview, Butler discusses his unusual career path; the challenges of responding to and anticipating entertainment and recreation market trends; Wynn's insistence on always striving for "better"; and the importance of concealing service infrastructure in order to create the ultimate guest experience. He emphasizes Wynn's leadership in the gaming industry and with Clark County and the City of Las Vegas. He speaks to lessons learned from designing The Mirage, Bellagio, the Wynn, Wynn Palace, and Encore. Finally, he describes real-world limitations to building such as drought and historic water rights; traffic patterns, ride-hailing companies, and parking restrictions, and flight patterns and building heights.

Ike Lawrence Epstein’s office at the recently opened UFC headquarters is sunlit and handsomely decorated. A black and white photo taken by the famous British photographer David Bailey of the Kray brother adorns the wall. Lawrence, as everyone knows him, is the son of Kenny Epstein and Donna Goldstein. He was born, in 1966, and raised in Las Vegas. He attended Vanderbilt University (BA 1989, JD 1992) and then returned to live full time in Las Vegas with his law degree in hand. In addition to being COO of the UFC, he is active in the family business, the El Cortez Hotel and Casino. In this oral history, Lawrence recalls his grandparents, their careers in Las Vegas, and his youthful favorite holidays being Passover and Thanksgiving. He became a bar mitzvah in Israel, a tradition he continues with his own children with Michelle Epstein. Lawrence serves the community as a board member of Meadows School and on the Stadium Board. As an executive with UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship], Lawrence observes the overall magnitude of sports in Las Vegas in 2017, how it came to this point with professional sports, and what he envisions as the future possibilities of the city as an international sports destination.