Oral history interview with Richard D. Chase conducted by Helen Rondthaler on October 17, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Chase discusses the history of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1945, touching on topics such as the housing shortage during the 1940s, The Red Rooster swingers’ club, Billy Moore, Sam Larson, Ira Goldring, atomic bomb testing, and the Nevada environment. Chase discusses the importance of construction-based labor to the development of Southern Nevada. Chase also explains at length the impact of the Nevada Test Site on his construction company.
Oral history interview with Joan Olson Griffith conducted by Sharee Schrader on April 12, 2005 for the History of Blue Diamond Village in Nevada Oral History Project. Griffith begins by discussing why she moved to Blue Diamond, Nevada with her family due to job opportunities at the Blue Diamond Plant, where they manufactured wallboard, in 1956. She describes life in Blue Diamond and rural Nevada, the education available in the village, and Blue Diamond's proximity to Bonnie Springs Ranch and structures made for the filming of Western themed media. Griffith concludes by discussing how Blue Diamond has changed since the 1950s and being a Sunday school teacher for eighteen years.
The Ned V. Bearden Sr. Photograph Collection contains black-and-white photographic prints and negatives of early Las Vegas, Nevada Fremont Street hotels, casinos, as well as Las Vegas businesses and residences between approximately 1940 to 1960. These photographs detail air conditioning units installations by Bearden throughout Las Vegas.
The Byrd Wall Sawyer Photograph Collection contains color photographic slides depicting Byrd Wall Sawyer’s home, the Carson House, in Carson City, Nevada; towns and cities; and landscapes throughout Nevada between approximately 1950 to 1970. Nevada towns and cities primarily depicted include Belmont, Manhattan, Reno, and Dixie. Nevada landscapes include Carson River, Carson Mountains, Olinghouse Canyon, Washoe Lake, King’s Canyon, Lake Winnemucca, Washoe Valley, and Lake Tahoe.
Oral history interview with John West conducted by Claytee D. White on August 10, 2000 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, West discusses his family background and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1954. West describes his educational experiences in Las Vegas and his career as a clinical psychologist. He recalls his father’s career in medicine and becoming the first African American licensed medical doctor in Las Vegas. West then talks about attending entertainment events before race integration was introduced, and the voting patterns in West Las Vegas. Lastly, West discusses his father’s decision to remain living in West Las Vegas and operating his medical office there after integration.
The Dorothy Ray Photograph Collection on Southern Nevada, approximately 1900-1946, depicts infrastructure in Caliente, Nevada in the early to mid-twentieth century. The collection also contains images of a flash flood that occurred in 1905 in Carp, Nevada and Stine, Nevada that washed away roads and railroad tracks. This collection provides historical documentation about early to mid-century Caliente, Nevada.
The Fanny’s Dress Shop Photographs (1930-1982) show one of Las Vegas’ premier women’s clothing stores. The collection includes images of Fanny Soss’ shop on Fremont Street, her store in the Flamingo Hotel, and Helldorado parades. Images include shop window displays.
Interviewed by Barbara Tabach. Born and raised in Zacatecas, Mexico, Irma moved to Las Vegas in 1989. She is the Cultural Program Supervisor at Winchester Community Center and has devoted much of her career to preserving Hispanic cultural traditions in Las Vegas. She has been an active leader in local events such as Community Roots, International Food & Folk Life Festival, World Vibrations, and Dio de Los Muertos.
Maggie Arias-Petrel is a successful businessperson and philanthropist. Born in Quito, Ecuador in 1966, Maggie grew up during the Space Age, meeting astronauts through her father’s work as a NASA engineer. Her mother worked as a teacher in an all-girls school. When she was a teenager, Maggie visited her aunt in California and decided to stay in the U.S. She eventually returned to Ecuador and helped her mother run her toy store business, helping her manage multiple locations. Her entrepreneurship flourished as she helped the family business grow into a successful enterprise. Despite the success in her home country, Maggie always dreamed of coming back and living in the U.S. When her family returned, they settled in Las Vegas in 1991. Through her entrepreneurship, Maggie helped many doctors set up their practices, and began her own consulting business, Global Professional Consulting. Today, her expertise includes over 20 years of medical practice management, marketing and advertising for medical and legal, business development and consulting experience. Maggie is also the Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Directors of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada. She is responsible for changing the direction of the Chamber and helping it become what it is today. She is also the director of the Señoras of Excellence, a philanthropic organization that focuses on raising funds to help Latino students attend college. They have awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship funds to students across the Las Vegas Valley. Because of her work in the medical field, Maggie understands the importance of affordable health care and accessibility. During the Obama Administration, she was part of Senator Harry Reid’s promotion team for the Affordable Health Care Act. She also worked with Governor Jim Gibbons doing international research work in Mexico, and was invited to the White House for the Cinco de Mayo celebration through the U.S. Hispanic Chamber and the Latino Coalition. Maggie is also responsible for the partnership between the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, one of the most prestigious and accomplished institutions of higher education in Mexico, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, and the Nevada System of Higher Education to develop nursing programs with direct collaboration from UAG to increase the number of bilingual-bicultural medical professionals in Nevada. She is the director for the Workforce Connections of Nevada Board and the Dignity HealthCare - St. Rose Dominican Hospital Board of Directors. Maggie has also received numerous accolades and awards such as the Community Service Award from the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Señoras of Excellence Award given to woman who excel in their professions, the Excellence in Advocacy Award by The Colors of Lupus Foundation, and the “Woman in Business” Award by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. In 2011, she was named one of the ten most influential Hispanics in the city by the Las Vegas Business Press. She is also one of the community leaders featured in the Las Vegas Latino Leaders Inaugural Edition Book. Maggie attended Los Angeles Mission College and Central University of Ecuador. She lives in Green Valley with her two sons.