Martin Dean Dupalo was born February 20, 1967. His parents were Eva Auge, a German citizen, and Milton Dupalo. Martin shares many stories and anecdotes concerning his family background, his father's 21 year military career, his mother's tribulations in WWII Berlin, and the many sites the family visited all over the world. Martin gives a wealth of details regarding Las Vegas and UNLV in the seventies and eighties. He lists the schools he attended in Clark County and recalls some of the friends and professors his father knew while attending UNLV. Martin graduated from Eldorado High in 1985, attended UNLV, and was selected for a Truman Congressional Scholarship at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He describes the house and surrounding area in which he and his father and brother, Michael Dean, lived. He also includes comments and anecdotes regarding entertainment in the Vegas Valley. After a stint as a fire fighter, four years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, and a brief marriage, Martin began teaching at UNLV in 2003. He discusses race relations as he has experienced them in his family, the military, Las Vegas, and at UNLV. His closing comments are in regard to war, world population, and the possibility of peace.
Dr. Dave Emerson was born in Littleton, Massachusetts. His father, a mining engineer, moved the family to Mexico twice, once when Dave was one year old and again when he was seven. In 1938, his father retired to work on his apple orchard in Littleton. Dave helped with pruning, spraying and dusting for insects, and hauling apples to the cider mill. Dr. Emerson graduated from high school in Littleton in 1945 and joined the army. Because he was only 17, the army sent him to Norwich University in Vermont until he turned 18. He then went on active duty until December, 1947. After he mustered out, Dartmouth College accepted his credits and he completed courses through his junior year. He was then called back to active duty in the Korean conflict, and was assigned to the Army Chemical Center in Maryland. After his army stint, Dr. Emerson worked a summer for Dow Chemical as a research engineer, and then returned to Michigan to pursue a Master's degree. He met and married his wife during this time. After completing his doctorate, Dave went to work for Shell Oil Company. Dave spent six years with Shell and decided to turn to teaching. He took a job at a branch of the University of Michigan. He worked there 17 years, doing research, teaching, and even spending a little time as chairman of the Division of Art, Sciences, and Letters. He was then notified of an opening at UNLV for dean of the College of Science, Math, and Engineering. In 1981, Dr. Emerson and his wife moved to Las Vegas, and he began teaching chemistry classes. He was instrumental in building up the engineering department through distance education for students who needed credits in math, computer skills, or electrical engineering. He also helped put together and sell the idea of a strong engineering school at UNLV, and then worked to gain accreditation for civil, mechanical, electrical and other areas of engineering. After retiring in 1998, Dr. Emerson worked on the self-study for the year 2000 accreditation. He still does research at UNLV on a volunteer basis. He and his wife continue to enjoy their home here in Vegas as well as their travels around the country.
Aaron Williams moved to Las Vegas in 1960 and worked at the Nevada Test Site before serving as North Las Vegas councilman, County Commissioner and community activist. Williams sponsored youth baseball teams in North Las Vegas.