Oral history interview with Patrick Egger conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on March 20, 2018 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Egger discusses his early life in Baltimore, Maryland and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968. He recalls becoming an electrician for the United States Air Force, being stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, and his initial interest in general appraisal. Egger describes his work in valuation, consulting, and urban real estate studies. Egger talks about his involvement with the Geographic Information System (GIS), Dual Independent Mapping Encoding (DIME), and the Clark County Regional Planning Council. Lastly, Egger discusses his employment with Nevada Savings & Loan (now PriMerit Federal Savings Bank), and the concept of time-value of money (TVM).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Larry K. Lytle conducted by Kenneth V. Higbee on April 26, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Lytle reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Lincoln County School District (LCSD) from the 1970s to the 2000s. He describes the process by which he became a principal, and describes his approach to fostering a safe learning environment for students and staff. He also describes how his religious beliefs shaped his approach to leadership, and how his responsibilities changed over time as he simultaneously oversaw the elementary, middle, and high school in Alamo, Nevada. He provides his opinion on schooling challenges such as standardized testing, and offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Michael S. Robison conducted by Harmony Ayala on November 24, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Robison reflects upon his career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Douglas County School District. He discusses his experience as a principal, and also as Area and Region Superintendent. He discusses student cultural diversity within the school district and the state of Nevada, and his interactions with the Washoe tribe. He describes his personal approach to education, how his experiences shaped that approach over time, and how he interacted with students on a regular basis. He also shares his opinion on contemporary topics within schools such as overcrowding, vouchers, and violence, and offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration.
Archival Collection
Text
Bud Weil worked as a disc jockey in Mexico after serving in the military during World War II. In 1947, he moved to Las Vegas to work at KLAS but after two days he was job hunting. His search landed him at KENO, a radio station owned by Max and Laura Belle Kelch. His was an interview show that afforded him entree to stars performing in town. The list of his favorite interviews includes Sophie Tucker, Sammy Davis, Jack Benny, The Mills Brother, Rosemary Clooney, Leno Home, Joey Lewis and many others. In 1955, he became restless, left the career in broadcasting, and joined Max Kelch as a partner in a new venture for Las Vegas - Musak. This enterprise took him to the doors of every business in town and shortly, he knew everybody. He uses that knowledge in this interview to talk about all aspects of life as the town grew over the years. Today he is a senior statesman of our town, enjoying everything about Las Vegas except the traffic.
Text
Oral history interview with Bill Belknap conducted by R. J. Johnson on February 12, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Belknap discusses Colorado River, Nevada State Advisory Commission, WWII, Henderson Power Plant during WWII, and the El Rancho Hotel in the 1940’s. Belknap also discusses the Tule Springs Archaeological Project 1966-1967, atomic testing, Lake Mead, Boulder City, music and Jazz in Southern Nevada, teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), photography, and the Grand Canyon.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lucille Bryant conducted by Claytee White on December 13, 1995 and March 01, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Bryant begins the interview discussing her early life in Tallulah, Louisiana. Next Bryant discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to look for work in 1953. Bryant discusses at length life in Tallulah from work to race relations. Bryant goes on to discuss her husband and children and to describe their family life. Bryant lastly discusses her experiences as an African American woman employed as a housekeeper on the Strip and her involvement in the Culinary Union local 226.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Lee Tilman conducted by Dennis McBride on February 06, 11, 13, 17, and 22; May 28; and July 09, 1996 for the Boulder City Library Oral History Project. In the interviews, Tilman discusses his birth in Gooding, Idaho in 1913, his early life, and his arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1931. Tilman then talks about his experiences mining, milling, and ranching before moving to Las Vegas. While in Las Vegas, Tilman was involved with construction of Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) and labor issues. Later, Tilman describes fishing and boating in the Colorado River, working at a duplex mine in Searchlight, Nevada, and working at the Las Vegas Ice House. Lastly, Tilman talks about influential Boulder City residents he knew, his children, and the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino.
Archival Collection
Text
Oral history interview with Burton Cohen conducted by Claytee D. White on July 9, 2013 as part of the UNLV Boyd Law School project, UNLV Gaming Law Journal. In this interview, casino executive Burton Cohen begins with his early life in Miami, Florida where he “fell in love with the hotel business” while working in his father’s hotel as a boy. He recounts how he abandoned his law career to return to the hotel business and how he came to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1960s to build up and manage operations at The Frontier. Cohen discusses his long career as a chief operating officer, touching briefly on some of the hotel/casinos that he helped launch and oversee in Las Vegas, including The Frontier, Circus Circus, Flamingo, Caesars Palace, the Desert Inn, and the Dunes. Cohen discusses some of the major changes that have occurred over the years in hotel/casino management and expresses respect for some of his contemporaries in the hotel industry such as Kirk Kerkorian, Billy Weinberger, and Gary Loveman.
Archival Collection