Ethiopian business owner Mahamed Youssouf became an American citizen in 1986. Born in Harar, Ethiopia, he recalls the hardships he had to endure during the Ethiopia-Somalia conflict. Coming from a family of tailors, he began making clothes with his father at a very early age. Mahamed’s recollections concerning his journey from political refugee to successful businessman demonstrates his resilience and determination to overcome obstacles and achieve his goals. Mahamed moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985, where he rented a storefront in North Las Vegas. The name of his store was Uniform Plus and he focused mainly on making children’s clothes. His efforts proved lucrative as he began buying wholesale in Los Angeles, California, and selling clothes in Las Vegas on the weekends at the outdoor Swap Meet. After a fateful encounter, Mahamed became business partners with Eugene Hoffman, owner of Village East Cleaners. Mahamed firmly believes that communication is the key to socio-economic success. He views education as an investment and states that, “to have dialogue means better relationships.” When the Ethiopian government was overthrown, Mahamed returned home to Africa for a visit. He met his wife while there, got married, and started a family. Mahamed returned to America and bought a family home in Las Vegas. He dedicated his time to teaching his American born children more about Ethiopian culture and taught himself more about American culture— including the African-American experience in Las Vegas, racism, the Moulin Rouge, and the Westside.
On February 13th, 1980, collector Valerie Fujii interviewed dancer, Elinor Horden, (born May 21st, 1930 in Ohio) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This interview covers local entertainment in the 1950s and the social and environmental changes that have occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gertrude (n?e Rightman) Rudiak was born in 1915 in North Dakota to Russian immigrants. She grew up in Wisconsin until 1924. That was the year the family drove to California via the Yellowstone Trail, a dusty, undeveloped road marked by yellow stones. In Los Angeles, her father practiced chiropractic, a holistic approach to well-being for which there was little knowledge at the time. Gertrude earned her music degree at University of California at Berkeley; a decision that did not lead to a career. She then attended a business college and got a job as a social worker in Northern California. In 1941, she met and soon married George Rudiak. It was the advent of World War II. George enlisted in the service and was assigned to Las Vegas Gunnery School (Nellis Air Force Base.) Since he had a law degree from University of California at Berkeley and passed the Nevada Bar exam, he found supplemental employment with local attorneys. Las Vegas became the Rudiaks? permanent home where they raised their five children. In this interview Gertrude recalls the stories of coming to live in Las Vegas of the 1940?s: their phone number was 1-2-3; the neighborhood they lived in longest being Scotch 80s and being part of the secular and Jewish communities.
Oral history interview with Lisa Hank conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 31, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Lisa discusses her move to Las Vegas in the early 1990s from California for a job with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and her current position as head of the Police Employee Assistance Program (PEAP). Lisa talks about the night of October 1 and the aftermath of the shooting, both in her work and personal life. She is the wife of Charles Hank III, police officer and another interviewee for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Subjects discussed include: well-being in aftermath of 1 October; PEAP preparation; healing.
The Florence McClure Papers (1969-2007) are comprised of writings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and assorted publications that focus on McClure's work with women's organizations, her efforts on behalf of the Southern Nevada Women's Correctional Facility, and her political advocacy work. It also contains a large number of reference clippings McClure collected on women's issues from local, national, and international publications.
The Dorothy Dorothy Photograph Collection (approximately 1910-1985) consists of black-and-white photographic prints and negatives as well as colored transparencies of Dorothy Dorothy. Included are photographs of campaigns, meetings, and banquets with various local and federal politicians. Also included are photographs of her husband, Dale Dorothy, and their ranch in Pahrump, Nevada.