Oral history interviews with Bernice Jaeger conducted by Joanne L. Goodwin on July 25, 1997, July 30, 1997 and February 03, 1998 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Jaeger begins the interviews by discussing her introduction to the hotel industry while attending Clark County Community College in the 1970s. Jaeger discusses working at the Rivera Hotel and Casino, Aladdin Hotel and Casino, and Continental Hotel and Casino, her experiences at these properties, and the important people associated with them. Jaeger describes how the increase in availability of hotel management programs at universities in the 1980s opened up the industry to women. Jaeger also talks about how many people in the Las Vegas, Nevada hotel and gaming industry came from Kentucky, where the gaming industry was only partially legal. Finally, Jaeger discusses her family life and raising her children.
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Oral history interview with Linda Rivera conducted by Layne Karafantis on October 02, 2009 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Rivera opens her interview by discussing her youth as a Latina in Arizona in the 1960s. Rivera then talks about schooling conditions and discrimination. She describes her first job at the Solomon Bill School District and, while there were many Hispanic students, there were not many Hispanic teachers or student leaders. Rivera then describes moving to Nevada in 1986 and searching for Hispanic culture in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rivera discusses the formation of the Hispanic Roundtable, an organization that develops Hispanic leadership in Nevada. She also talks her work to make the Clark County School District more accessible to working families and her awards and recognition within the Latinx community.
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Oral history interviews with Myrna Williams conducted by Suzanne Becker and Joanne L. Goodwin on April 16, 2008, April 21, 2008, and June 15, 2009 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Williams begins her interview discussing her family and their performance background. Williams then discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from New York with her young family. Williams describes her involvement with the local Democratic party and work on election campaigns. She also talks about her work to create a legitimate social work program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Williams also describes her ten year tenure on the Nevada State Assembly and her time on the Clark County Commission. Lastly, she talks about her community activism in the Public Education Foundation and Anti-Defamation League.
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Oral history interviews with Irene Porter conducted by Angela Moor on November 06, 2009, November 20, 2009, and January 29, 2010 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Porter begins her interview discussing her childhood in North Dakota in the 1940s including her experiences growing up on military bases and her father's military career. Porter then discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959 and her experiences at Rancho High School. Porter describes her classes, social activities, and community. Porter then talks about her career and experiences at the Clark County Planning Department including the activities the Department was responsible for, learning to write grants, the glass ceiling, and how she eventually became Director. Porter goes on to discuss working for the City of North Las Vegas and lobbying for the state of Nevada.
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Oral history interview with Toni Clark conducted by Joanne L. Goodwin on July 02, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Clark opens her interview describing her childhood in Seattle, Washington. Clark then discusses moving to San Diego, California in 1941 and becoming a waitress at the Monte Carlo bar and restaurant. Clark then discusses how war rationing affected daily life and the nightclub industry. Clark then talks about marrying Wilbur Clark, moving with him to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1944, and the history of the El Rancho Vegas. Clark discusses the opening of the Monte Carlo Club, living in Las Vegas in the 1950s, and the opening of the Desert Inn Hotel. Clark goes on to describe the management of the Desert Inn, the food, and lounges. Clark then mentions the celebrities she has met and entertained, and the opening of the Flamingo Hotel.
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Oral history interview with Lawrence Wickliffe conducted by Kim Odusanya on November 29, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Wickliffe discusses his personal history living in Ferriday, Louisiana and later moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953. He talks about his first impressions of the city and his career as a firefighter. Wickliffe then describes the West Las Vegas riots and protesting for social change, redlining on the Westside, and the recent economic upturn in the area. Later, Wickliffe recalls being the first African American paramedic in Las Vegas and his promotion to Battalion Fire Chief in 1978. He describes assisting at the MGM Grand fire in 1980 and the subsequent implementation of fire sprinkler systems inside hotels and casinos. Lastly, Wickliffe recalls desegregation on the Las Vegas Strip, families moving out of the Westside, and changes in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Loretta K. Wait conducted by Brian Nicoll on March 10, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Wait discusses her personal history and the life of her father, Oscar G. Logan. Wait begins by describing her father's move to Nevada after serving in the military in the early twentieth century, Logan meeting his wife in Tonopah, Nevada, and how he worked at the ammunition storage depot in Hawthorne, Nevada as a carpenter. She then describes his eventual move to Las Vegas, Nevada and his carpentry work on the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Wait continues, listing her father's business partnerships and other construction projects he was involved in. She concludes by talking about life in Las Vegas, her education, working at the Nevada Test Site, and observing an unidentified flying object.
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Oral history interview with John J. Weeteling conducted by his son, Terry Weeteling, on April 07, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Weeteling describes moving to Tonopah, Nevada in 1942 while enlisted in the United States Air Force and life in the town. He talks about moving to Ely, Nevada in 1945 and working there as a truck driver, how Ely has grown and changed, and opening a paint and body shop in Hawthorne, Nevada. Weeteling continues, explaining why he moved to Henderson, Nevada in 1947, joining the fire department on the Basic Magnesium Plant compound, and describes life in Henderson. He then describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1951, Fremont Street during the 1950s, and the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Weeteling concludes by discussing local politicians, his recreational activities, ghost towns in Nevada, and nuclear weapons testing.
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Oral history interview with Francisco V. Aguilar conducted by Monserrath Hernández on April 19, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Aguilar discusses his early life in Tucson, Arizona. He recalls his educational experience, attending the University of Arizona, and his initial interests in law. Aguilar talks about lobbying the Arizona legislature for a second student regent on the Board of Regents, attending law school, and serving on the Catholic Charities Board, Opportunity 180 Board, and the Nevada Athletic Commission. He describes being nominated for the Bosch Fellowship, and being a founding chairman of the Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, Aguilar talks about the importance of prioritizing education in local communities, and his vision for Cristo Rey. Lastly, he shares his thoughts about the Latinx community in Las Vegas.
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