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Transcript of interview with Jack Levine by Suzanne Becker, June 28, 2007

Date

2007-06-28

Description

Jack LeVine offers a narrative as a real estate agent and a gay man who has lived in Las Vegas since he was a young adult in the 1980s. He first started visiting Las Vegas whenever his truck driver routes allowed him to visit his parents who had moved here in 1977. They owned a downtown sandwich and catering business called Your Place or Mine. Then in 1985 Jack and his life-partner, J.J., decided to relocate to Las Vegas. Jack soon launched a real estate career that began with the purchase of a 13-unit apartment complex. Over the years he became knowledgeable about the history of the greater community and the individual neighborhoods; including John S. Park—"the earliest suburb in Las Vegas. Jack and J.J have lived in a 1954 Mid-Century Modern home since the mid-1990s. Jack is a strong believer in re-gentrification and mentions other cities where this has been successful. His philosophy includes an explanation of the sense of community that is derived from those who invest of themselves in that community life John S. Park.

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Transcript of interview with Elizabeth "Betty" Krolak by Irene Rostine, September 26, 1995

Date

1996-09-26

Description

In 1962, Elizabeth “Betty” Krolak moved from the Midwest to Las Vegas with her husband and six children. Not only would the drier desert climate benefit her youngest daughter’s health due to asthma, but the family hoped the Las Vegas economy would be beneficial for their future. Prior to her arrival in Las Vegas, Betty worked briefly as a secretary for the New York Central Railroad before becoming a stay-at-home mom and active member of the PTA. Upon their arrival in Las Vegas, Betty’s husband enrolled in a real estate class, but was unable to complete the program. Betty, not wanting to waste the $80 they had spent on the class, decided to attend in his place. This decision led to life changing events for Betty and her family over the next four decades. After taking the real estate class and passing the test, Betty became a licensed Nevada real estate broker in October of 1963. She initially went to work for Pyramid Realty and, in 1964, she opened her own office, Clark County Realty. After her divorce in 1967, Betty was left with “six hungry children” to feed and no child support or health insurance. She recalls how the benefits of being in real estate really became apparent during this period of her life. While real estate required long hours seven days a week, it also afforded a single mother flexibility that other careers would not have offered. Likewise, a woman could make more money in real estate in the 1960s and 1970s than most other careers provided, which was particularly important for Betty who was committed to raising her children without public assistance. Betty’s oral history chronicles the growth of the Las Vegas Board of Realtors which has grown into what today is the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR). She recalls how, in the 1960s, meetings took place in bowling allies and the primary role of the GLVAR was to provide networking opportunities and represent the Code of Ethics for realtors. However, the Board was dominated by males, with the role of women members confined to planning social events and arranging for refreshments. In 1968, Betty and several other women realtors set out to change this by initially establishing a local Women’s Council within the Board. In the years following, Betty became the first women to be an Executive Board Member. Today, more than half the members of the Executive Board are women. Betty’s oral history also speaks to many changes within the real estate industry over the past four decades, some positive and some not so positive. She recounts the 1960s to the 1980s, when casino workers’ main source of income came from tips which were often unreported, creating challenges in getting casino workers qualified for home loans because they did not have the ability to document their source of income. Likewise, single women had a hard time qualifying for home loans because they only had one income and, in those days, it rarely was enough to qualify for a mortgage on their own. Also during this period, realtors primarily focused on the resale market because builders wanted to work directly with buyers, but changes in the real estate market eventually led builders to realize the benefits of allowing realtors to sell new houses, too. During her career, Betty also experienced the rise of real estate franchises, beginning with Century 21’s arrival in Nevada, the development of Multiple Listing Service (MLS), changes to educational requirements, approaches to settling disputes, and new approaches to ethics violations. Perhaps the biggest change Betty’s oral history speaks to is the personal approach to selling real estate that has been lost over time. In the early days, brokers sold houses right alongside the sales agents. Today, however, regulations have placed brokers in a position where their primary role is to manage sales people, not sell houses. Also, realtors used to interact with other realtors, title company personnel, and mortgage lenders before technology, such as fax machines and computers, came along. In the early days, documents were transferred in person allowing people in the industry to get to know one another through these personal interactions. Today, everything is done electronically and it is rare to actually know the person on the other end. Selling real estate has lost a lot of its personal touch, according to Betty. In addition to being the mother of six children and running one of the largest real estate offices in the area, Betty also found time to give back to the community through her volunteer work with the Salvation Army. She was instrumental in establishing Southern Nevada’s Angel Tree project, which provides Christmas presents to children who otherwise would not receive them. She was also appointed by Governor Michael O’Callahan to the State of Nevada’s Real Estate Commission, making her the first woman to serve on the Commission. Betty’s career in real estate allowed her to witness and implement many changes that still impact the industry today. When Betty began her career, Las Vegas’ population was just over 45 thousand. By the mid-1990s Green Valley, Spring Valley, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Sun City had been developed and the Valley’s population exceeded 1 million people. Betty Krolak’s career merged with the real estate boom as she helped find homes for those who wanted to make Las Vegas their home. She made sure the real estate industry’s growth included women, training mechanisms, and ethics which continue to benefit realtors, home buyers, and home sellers to this day.

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Eric Mendoza oral history interview: transcript

Date

2021-11-29

Description

Oral history interview with Eric Mendoza conducted by Holly O'Donnell on November 29, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Eric Mendoza shares his family's chain migration history from Manila, Philippines to the United States and his difficult immigration and naturalization process once arriving in America in 1996. He talks about what brought him to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, his education and professional pursuits, what his life is like in the United States compared to that of the Philippines, and the lives of his eight siblings. Eric Mendoza discusses the historical past of the Philippines, the infrastructure in place there, and government corruption. He also speaks to Filipino traditions and festivals, food and customs, his cultural identity, and assimilating to American culture.

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University of Nevada, Las Vegas law school feasibility studies

Date

1990-08-17
1996-05-29

Description

Folder contains a study titled "Analysis of Feasibility Study and Blueprint for a Law School, University of Nevada, Las Vegas" by Steven R. Smith, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, August 17,1990 and a second study titled "A Feasibility Study for a Law School at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas" prepared by R. Keith Schwer, PhD, Director, The Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, May 29, 1996. From the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law Records (UA-00048).

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Operation Opportunities Clark County, Operation Independence Day Care Center and Community Service Center: documents

Date

1965

Description

From the Clark County Economic Opportunity Board Records -- Series II: Projects. This folder contains documents, reports, and some correspondence from Operation Independence Day Care Center and Operation Independence Community Service Center as well as some correspondence about Clark County School District

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Transcript of interview with Pauleen Foutz by Don Scott Kaye, February 25, 1980

Date

1980-02-25

Description

On February 25, 1980, Don Scott Kaye interviewed genealogist Pauleen Foutz (born November 26, 1906 in Provo, Utah) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. Foutz relocated to Nevada with her husband, who was a dentist, and raised her children in Las Vegas. Her children attended the Fifth Street School and later Las Vegas High School. She mentions that while her children attended middle school and high school in Las Vegas there was no problem with segregation. She also describes how Strip orchestras would provide entertainment for the children in the Las Vegas community by playing for their dances, such as junior proms and senior hops. During the interview, Mrs. Foutz discusses the history of Southern Nevada, social and religious activities in Las Vegas, her interests, extracurricular activities for local youth, and home and family life. While living in Las Vegas, professions she has held include schoolteacher, businessperson, and genealogist. She was involved with the Bicentennial celebrations in Las Vegas in 1967 and was very involved with the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, genealogical library in Las Vegas. At the time this interview was conducted, Mrs. Foutz was the president of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America for Nevada.

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University of Nevada System Board of Regents Law School Feasibility Study

Date

1980-05

Description

Folder contains a Law School Feasibility Study for the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada System conducted by management consultants Cresap, McCormick and Paget Inc. From the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law Records (UA-00048).

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Family Group Record-568, Syphus Family, printout

Date

1992-01-06

Archival Collection

Description

From the Syphus-Bunker Papers (MS-00169). The folder contains documents containing the Syphus Family Group Record.

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Mauricia Baca oral history interview: transcript

Date

2019-03-07

Description

Oral history interview with Mauricia Baca conducted by Claytee D. White on March 7, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. Mauricia Baca discusses her early life, her education, and her experiences living in New York City, New York before she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. She also relates her experiences on and after the 1 October mass shooting. Baca relates information on her agency, Get Outdoors Nevada. Baca shares how her agency worked with the City of Las Vegas in the construction and operation of the Healing Garden. Finally, she discusses the book she helped author regarding 1 October.

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