Oral history interview with Ruby C. Leavitt conducted by her grandson, Patton Alberti, on November 30, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Leavitt describes her early childhood in Genoa, Nevada, and then discusses moving to different towns in northern Nevada while working as a teacher. Leavitt also discusses the expansion of Reno, Nevada and her time attending University of Nevada, Reno in the 1920s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Winnie Prince conducted by A. D. Hopkins on December 17, 1998 for the
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Phillip B. McVey conducted by Carl Amante in approximately 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, McVey discusses his ancestors moving to Nevada between 1867 and 1868 and his birth in Eureka, Nevada. McVey describes graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno, working as a land and water surveyor throughout Nevada, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in approximately 1960. Other interview topics include visiting the Las Vegas Mormon Fort with Jim Cashman, Sr., public transportation, environmental and noise pollution, and social acceptance toward minorities within Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert N. Broadbent conducted by Connie Lyons on September 23, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. During the interview Broadbent discusses education, politics, religion, entertainment, the dedication of Hoover Dam, and the various social clubs of which he is a member of. Broadbent also discusses Six Companies, housing in Boulder City, Nevada, the Las Vegas Strip, Railroad Pass, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the above ground atomic bomb testing in Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Elwood Schmidt conducted by Claytee D. White on and November 14, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Schmidt discusses his upbringing and early interest in medicine. He talks about working for the United States Public Health Service, interviewing Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulance drivers, and writing
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ava Carino conducted by Isabelle Rice on November 20, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Carino recalls their experience as a Filipino American growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discuss working in the gaming industry, past traumatic experiences, and their family's immigration story. Please note the following disclaimer: This interview contains language or content that some may find offensive or triggering. Please contact special.collections@unlv.edu for further information.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jessie Evans conducted by Bernard Timberg on January 18, 1974 and February 04, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Evans discuss life as a Native American and places such as Shoshone, Nevada, Owyhee, Nevada, Saint Thomas, Nevada and Winnemucca, Nevada. Later in the interview Evan's brother Henry Dave is introduced and the two of them briefly give a demonstration of the Shoshone language.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Helen Manix conducted by Art Rader on October 29, 1974 and November 01, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interviews, Helen Manix discusses moving to Boulder City, Nevada in 1939 with her husband, John Manix, to operate a general merchandise store. Helen Manix and her son, Joseph "Joe" Manix, Jr., also discuss their local community, Boulder (Hoover) Dam, and their experiences in Boulder City during World War II.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert Bugbee conducted by John Lopez on March 16, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Bugbee discusses his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953 and how both the population and housing have changed since then. Bugbee additionally speaks about the changes in infrastructure, including the building of roads and increased air travel. Throughout the interview, he mentions some of the various specific housing tracts that were built throughout Las Vegas. Bugbee also mentions topics such as the building of Hoover Dam, the first popular casinos in town, the Carole Lombard crash, and the MGM Grand fire. The interview finalizes with Bugbee’s thoughts on the future of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Don Payne conducted by Mara E. Vernon on March 19, 1997 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Payne discusses his career with the Las Vegas News Bureau. He talks about his role as Head of the Bureau and his work in promoting Las Vegas through media outlets. Payne remembers the Bureau’s partnership with the Union Pacific Railroad and the beginning of corporate ownership in Las Vegas hotels and casinos.
Archival Collection