Oral history interview with Carolyn Goodman conducted by Barbara Tabach on August 18, 2016 and August 31, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Goodman talks about her Jewish ancestry, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada; raising her children, and entering into politics in the city.
Oral history interview with Selma Bartlett conducted by Claytee D. White on September 18, 2008 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bartlett discusses arriving to Henderson, Nevada in 1954 and recalls the homes in that area. She shares her experience in banking and her employment with First National Bank of Nevada. Lastly, Bartlett discusses the housing crisis of 1987 and describes the housing industry during that time.
Oral history interview with Relda Leavitt conducted by David Broussard on March 18, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Leavitt describes life in St. Thomas, Nevada and the town's eventual demise due to the creation of Lake Mead.
Oral history interview with Lorna Kesterson conducted by James M. Greene on October 18, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Kesterson discusses her work in news editing as well as her original reasons for moving to Southern Nevada. She also discusses teenage social life of Boulder City, Nevada during the 1940s.
Oral history interview with Arthur Marshall conducted by Barbara Tabach on April 18, 2018 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Marshall discusses his early life in Ohio and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959. He talks about his Jewish heritage, the growth of the Jewish community in Las Vegas, and his role as a Jewish leader. Lastly, Marshall remembers the formation of the apparel store Marshall Rousseau, and working with local banks.
LaVerne Ligon was born in 1942 in Washington D.C. Around the age of nine, she started dancing at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet, which started her career in dance. She took her first job as a professional dancer when she was eighteen with the Capitol Ballet Company. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1973. In 1974, she successfully auditioned for a touring cast of Hello, Dolly! After completing that show, Ligon performed in a number of productions in Las Vegas, including Hallelujah Hollywood and Jubilee. She retired from dancing in the early 1980s after sustaining an injury and she opened the Simba Talent Agency, a dance school for at-risk youth. She also worked for Family Services, but is now retired. She continues to work on projects with the Simba Talent Agency. BJ Thomas was born in 1935 in Plain Dealing, Louisiana. He moved to Las Vegas in 1968 after working for the Post Office in San Francisco. He worked a number of jobs for two years before beginning to pursue work as a stage hand. Thomas worked for shows at the Tropicana and Caesars Palace. He is currently retired. Leonard Polk Jr. was born in 1948 in Monroe, Louisiana. He and his mother moved to Las Vegas in 1949 when he was just two months old. His father worked on the Hoover Dam. Polk grew up in West Las Vegas and remembers the movement to integrate the schools in the city. As a young adult, he joined the Marines and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Polk began to work for shows in Las Vegas after he finished his military career. He worked for the Aladdin Baghdad Theater and for the MGM Grand Hotel. He is currently retired, but remains active with the First African Methodist Episcopal Church.