Oral history interview with Christopher C. Hudgins conducted by Claytee D. White on May 18, 2016 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Hudgins open his interview by discussing his upbringing in Virginia, his education, and the manual labor jobs he worked as a teenager. Hudgins then describes his introduction to American folk music and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1976. Hudgins then recalls what the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was like in 1976 and how he became familiar with the city. Hudgins then discusses his career and scholarship while at UNLV as a chairman in the English department, and his interest in broadcasting. He then explains conflicts between the Board of Regents and the UNLV faculty, the expansion of UNLV related construction on Maryland Parkway, and his interest in becoming a dean. Hudgins describes his goals as dean of the liberal arts college, the challenges of implementing grants for liberal arts projects, and his views on college athletics. Lastly, Hudgins recalls attending a Nobel Prize ceremony as an invited guest of Harold Pinter, and his association with the City of Asylum organization.
Oral history interview with Lee White conducted by Claytee D. White on May 18, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Lee White played professional football for the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers. A promising career as a first round draft pick resulted in an injury in his first professional game. He retired from football at the age of 28 and moved back to Las Vegas where he had grown up on the Westside. Lee entered the hotel and casino industry as a dealer, retiring twenty-five years later as a Vice President of Casino Operations. His career in the tourism industry included work at the Sands, MGM, Desert Inn, and the Tropicana.
Subjects discussed include: Westside School, Weber State College, and the Sahara Hotel and Casino
Oral history interview with Robert Allen Jr. conducted by Carlton Kelley on March 20, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Robert Allen discusses his career in acting and his role in the entertainment business in Las Vegas, Nevada. Allen then discusses the growth of Las Vegas, the role of mining in Southern Nevada, and the work of instrumental political figures. Allen also discusses the role of the gaming industry, the availability of recreational activities, the modes of transportation available to locals, television and movie productions in which he was involved, and dining options for Las Vegas locals.
Oral history interviews with Richard W. Bunker conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on July 18 2017, July 21, 2017, and September 28, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bunker discusses the history behind a wide range of events that affected the daily lives of Southern Nevadans. He talks about his role in a consolidation attempt between the Clark County and Las Vegas, Nevada governmental structures that was halted by the courts in 1975. Bunker then recalls working as a member and Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and his work with various casinos and hotels including Circus Circus, the Dunes, and the Aladdin. He discusses replacing key people at the Gaming Control Board, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Operation Yobo sting. He then speaks fondly of his longtime friends Jim Gibson, Judge Lloyd George, and Jim Joyce. Lastly, Bunker discusses water rights, supply, and management issues in Nevada as it relates to the Nevada Resort Association, Las Vegas Valley Water District, Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Colorado River Commission.
Oral history interview with Yorgo Kagafas conducted by Claytee White on January 14, 2010 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Projects. Kagafas discusses becoming an urban planner for the City of Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999 and implementing the neighborhood planning process.
Oral history interview with Jelindo A. Tiberti II conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on April 18, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Tiberti explains the ubiquity of fencing and shares his experience of taking over Tiberti Fence Company, of retiring and selling the company, and of starting over with Red Star Fence Company. Tiberti also discusses struggling with dyslexia in college.
Oral history interview with Todd Jones conducted by Claytee White on January 07, 2010 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park neighborhood Oral History Project. Jones discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1991 to become a professor of philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and buying a home in the John S. Park Neighborhood.
Oral history interview with Kevin Chung conducted by Cecelia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on December 18, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Kevin Chung discusses his upbringing in Southern Vietnam and how he and his family were forced to leave the country during the Vietnam War. Chung talks about his family's migration to Minnesota and how they adapted to American culture. He shares his educational background, his professional pursuits as a teacher, and the reasons he and his wife decided to move to Las Vegas. Chung reflects on the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in education with an emphasis on the arts and shares his teaching philosophy. He also gives details of his family's lives and talks about the importance of bringing together his Vietnamese and American cultures to connect the different generations of his family.