James Frey was born in Eureka, South Dakota, in 1941. His father worked in creamery and his mother was a registered nurse. When James was nine, the family,including his twin sister, relocated in Sioux Falls where his dad was plant manager for a dairy. He joined the YMCA in the fourth grade and ended up working for them until James attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, graduating with a major in sociology and a minor in history. After graduation, he worked for three years at the YMCA in Sioux Falls as program director. He earned his master's degree in sociology at the University of Iowa in two years, and was hired at the YMCA in Whittier, California, where he worked for three years. While working in Whittier, James was offered a fellowship to Washington State University in Pullman. He committed to completing his doctorate in three years, and while still working on his dissertation began sending out applications. He sent one to UNLV and arrived in Las Vegas for an interview in 1974. James was hired as assistant professor of sociology at UNLV, and immediately established a survey center at the university. He also converted his dissertation into a book length manuscript and had it published, followed by other books and articles over the years. He conducted a survey on a very high-profile political race between Sheriff Ralph Lamb and his opponent, John McCarthy, which led to work for the State of Nevada, Yucca Mountain, and other entities. The survey program was eventually named the Cannon Center for Survey Research, after Senator Howard Cannon. In the course of his career, James was tenured, taught in London under a university sponsored program, spent a sabbatical in Washington, D.C., doing research, taught several classes, and served seven years as dean. He has detailed memories of the contributions of several university presidents, including Brock Dixon, Pat Goodall, Robert Maxson, Kenny Guinn, and Carol Harter. Today, Dr. James Frey and his wife of over thirty years, Carol, are both retired. He has made a smooth transition to president of his Rotary Club, Chairman of the Nevada Humanities group, and spectator at UNLV basketball and football games. He and his wife plan to stay in Las Vegas, close to their son and friends and neighbors they know and love.
Dr. Catherine Bellver is a woman with tenacity. How else could one describe her drive to create the Women's Studies Program spanning fifteen years? As a faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages, Dr. Bellver first joined the Women's Studies steering committee in 1979. In the following decade, the committee oversaw the formation of the Women's Studies Program, including: procuring administrative and faculty support, creating bylaws and course criteria, critiquing proposed cross-listed courses, and selecting course offerings. During that period she also worked with a volunteer group to create and staff the first Women's Center on campus. In the early Nineties, she played an instrumental role in the presentation of four public colloquia that addressed key issues pertaining to women. Dr. Bellver acted as interim director of the Women's Studies Program while overseeing the search for a permanent director. She continued to remain involved with the Women's Studies program, serving as faculty member on several committees. She has also worked in the Women's Caucus on the regional and national levels of the Modem Languages Association Dr. Bellver is currently Distinguished Professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her work has appeared in journals such as Anales de la Literature Espanola Contemporanea, Hispanic Review, Hispanofila, Insula, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Monographic Review/Revista Monografica, Revista de Estudios Modernos, Revista Hispanica Moderna, Romance Notes and Romanic Review. Dr. Bellver's participation in the creation of the Women's Studies Program illustrates how critical institutional and social progress can result from the commitment of a determined group of individuals. Her decades of involvement in creating an academic arena for the study of women and gender issues underscores the significance of women's contributions to the history of Las Vegas. In addition to the history of the Women's Studies Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas this interview contains information regarding the creation of the first Women's Center on campus.
The permanently closed Labayou Casino sits at 15 Fremont Street at the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survery Data Sheet. Site address: 15 Fremont St Sign owner: Derek Stevens Sign details: Opened 1920 as Northern Club By Mayme Stocker. 1943-1960 operated as a few different businesses. 1970 opened as The Coin Castle, 1999 was renovated and opened as La Bayou, 2016 bought by Derek Stevens and torn down. Sign condition: No longer there Sign form: Architectural sign Sign-specific description: Three neon signs site on top of a shack made of wood and sheet metal that is meant to represent something that might be seen in Louisiana. Two windows with green shutters are "open" with T.V. screens inside. Two neon signs sit at the top of the shack that spell out La Bayou in red neon and the cabinet is trimmed with purple neon. At the front of the property, above the entry, is a red neon sign that says "26 New Orleans Daiquiris." Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent Sign - media: Steel, fiberglass Sign environment: Part of the Fremont Street Experience, next to Golden Gate Casino Sign - date of installation: c. 1999 Sign - thematic influences: The property has a theme element, which was popular of casinos of Las Vegas in the 1990s. Sign - artistic significance: Property was decorated with a Louisiana inspired bayou, swamp motif. Survey - research locations: Newspapers Survey - research notes: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/mermaids-la-bayou-and-glitter-gulch-come-to-a-close-on-fremont-photos/ https://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/jun/25/patrons-say-farewell-to-mermaids-and-la-bayou-in-d/ http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/?currentPage=3 Survey - other remarks: Property was razed 2016 Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond Survey - date completed: 2017-09-08 Sign keywords: Architectural; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Fiberglass
The sign for Virtue Vice sits at 750 Fremont Street as part of The Venue in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet. Site address: 750 Fremont St Sign owner: Victor Perrillo Sign details: This building was constructed in 2015 for the Venue which is a concert venue and special event center that usually holds weddings and proms. The Arizona based owners have a similar venue to this one in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sign condition: 5- Very new and still works good Sign form: Sign on Building Sign-specific description: The roof line that they building has is a curved Moorish style, right below the roof line is a channeled "V" that contains incandescent light bulbs. Below this is black channeled block letters spelling out "THE VENUE" which illuminate a whitish gold color. Sign - type of display: Neon and Incandescent light bulbs Sign - media: Steel Sign - non-neon treatments: Incandescent light bulbs Sign animation: Flasher for incandescent light bulbs Sign environment: This location is in the East District of Fremont, on the same side of the street as the El Cortez but about half a block to the East. This location is across the street from the Container Park and also has one of the "Fremont Street East District" signs in the street in front of this property. Sign - date of installation: 2015 Sign - thematic influences: Sine they are a venue for many different events this name is perfect for the location and their sign is well representative of that. Sign - artistic significance: The channeled "V" and words "The Venue" help contain the light. Survey - research locations: Las Vegas Weekly article https://lasvegasweekly.com/as-we-see-it/2015/jun/03/the-venue-downtown-concert-hall-fremont-east/ , The Venue website http://thevenuesgroup.com/, acessor's page Survey - research notes: The building was constructed for this specific company in 2015 , and previous to this it was an empty lot for a few years. Surveyor: Emily Fellmer Survey - date completed: 2017-09-01 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Flashing; Building-front design; Fascia
Interviewed by Nathalie Martinez. Jocelyn Cortez is a Salvadoran-American immigration lawyer. She grew up on the Eastside of Las Vegas and grew up going to school in the Clark County School District and at UNLV before going to Law School at the University of Arizona. She is an engaged community member as an immigration lawyer working alongside the Culinary Union and the Latino Bar Association.