Oral history interview with Ernest Oon conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on February 16, 2023 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Oon recalls his childhood in Singapore, where his father worked on the Health and Sports Council for the Singaporean Government and his mother worked as a television assistant producer. Growing up, Oon recalls being very active, participating in everything from soccer to Tae Kwon Do. In an effort to continue his education without being being interrupted by Singapore's civil service program, Oon applied to college in the United States and ended up attending California State University. Although he was on the medicine track in Singapore, he switched to finance. After a series of jobs within credit banking, he is now a chief credit officer for Bank of Nevada. Throughout the interview, Oon reflects on the changes in his life living in different places, the street food from Singapore, and his unique tennis game.

Richard Steele became interested in professional boxing at a young age when he was introduced to world champion boxers Chalky Wright and Sugar Ray Robinson. He trained at Hoover Street Gym in South Central, Los Angeles, with trainer Eddie Futch. Richard joined and boxed for the United States Marine Corps and became Marine Corps Middleweight Champion in 1963. Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1944 Richard and his family moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1950s. His father was a bartender and his mother was an elevator operator. During the interview Richard’s daughter Zakeisha Steele-Jones discusses the various job titles her father has held, including professional actor and campus police officer. Most notably, Richard was the second Black professional referee in both Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. A profound interview heralding key character traits, such as, perseverance, resilience, strength, and determination, Richard recalls being personally invited by Nelson Mandela to referee the WBC Convention in South Africa. Some of Richard’s most memorable title fights to date include, the Hearns and Hagler fight, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, and four Mike Tyson fights. Zakeisha also interjects that her father currently manages and owns a boxing gym where he trains and mentors young Black and Hispanic aspiring boxing champions and referees.

38 foot waterwheel on the Muddy River near Logandale, Nevada.

Transcribed Notes: Bureau of Reclamation typed notes appended to back of photo: Boulder Canyon Project, Nevada Region 3 A 38-foot water wheel lifts water 30 feet from the Muddy River to irrigate a farm near Glendale, Nevada.