Oral history interviews with Emilie Wanderer conducted by Joanne L. Goodwin throughout February 2000 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Wanderer begins her interview with a thorough discussion of her family history and her parent's influence on her life. Next Wanderer discusses attending law school and her first job at the U.S Attorney's office in New York state. Then Wanderer talks about opening her law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada and eventually becoming the first mother and son law team in the state. Wanderer also discusses her appointment by the American Bar Association and National Association of Women Lawyers to assess the state of family court in Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Amy Ayoub conducted by Claytee D. White on September 18, 2023 and May 30, 2024 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Ayoub describes growing up in Cuba and Las Vegas, Nevada, and attending a high school in Caliente for troubled teenaged girls. When Ayoub took charge of her life in the late 1970s, she got a position at the Holiday Casino working for Claudine Williams. She recalls watching Williams work, getting to know everyone in Nevada's leadership positions, and later volunteering for numerous political campaigns. Ayoub details her various careers including the Nevada Athletic Commission, advocating for AB67, political fundraising, and eventually public speaking coach. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles Quander conducted by Claytee D. White on October 27, 2005 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Quander, who served as a flight officer in the Army Air Corps first all-Black fighter and bomber squadrons known collectively as the Tuskegee Airmen, talks about his upbringing in Washington, D.C., his early interest in flight, and his decision to train as a pilot at the outset of World War II. Quander talks about his training and reflects on both the process of learning to fly and the discrimination that the cadets experienced from the predominately white senior officers. He then talks about his post-military education and his career with the federal government, working as an investigator for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the United States Attorney's strike force on organized crime. He ends the interview describing his retirement and travel, his move to Las Vegas, Nevada, and his views on war, the Department of Homeland Security, and his perceptions of Las Vegas' growth.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hernando Amaya conducted by Laurents Banuelos-Benitez, Marcela Rodriguez-Campo, and Barbara Tabach on October 18, 2018 and December 3, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Hernando Amaya talks about his childhood and education in Bogota, Colombia. He discusses his start in journalism as a young man and working for El Espectador, the Colombian national newspaper. He discusses his experiences reporting on the narco-terrorism occurring in Medellin, Colombia and how this eventually led to his immigration to the United States. Amaya moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001 and continued his career in journalism by working for local Spanish speaking papers and websites. He relates his civic involvement in the Las Vegas area, his work as the president of the Colombian Association of Las Vegas, and various other civic engagements. As a journalist, he asserts the importance of knowing one's culture, storytelling, learning history, and being active in the community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with the family of Joe Louis conducted by Claytee D. White on November 18, 2014 and February 06, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In these interviews, the family of Joe Louis discuss his life and career as a famous African American boxer from the 1930s to 1950s. They describe charity fights he held to raise money for the Navy Relief Fund during World War II, which later became an issue for him when the Internal Revenue Service claimed he still owed taxes on the money he raised despite it being donated. The family discusses what it was like growing up and meeting celebrity friends of Louis', such as Frank Sinatra and Muhammad Ali, Louis' involvement with the Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Louis' status as an African American sports hero. They also detail his eventual retirement from boxing, his job working as a greeter at Caesars Palace, and his death.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Wayne Stacy conducted by his son, Russell Stacy, on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Stacy discusses his personal history and living in Boulder City, Nevada before eventually moving to Henderson, Nevada. Stacy describes the reasons why he moved to Boulder City as opposed to Las Vegas, Nevada, and the history of Boulder City. Stacy also describes how Boulder City and Henderson have changed, the history of Henderson, gambling, and nuclear tests.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Margaret Casey conducted by Claytee D. White on January 13, 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Margaret Casey discusses the female workers during World War II (WWII). She discusses Las Vegas, Nevada history during the mid-century. She also discusses the Mesquite Club, the ways of family life including the grocery stores, restaurants and the various leisure activities like gardening and golf. Casey then discussses topics such as the atomic testing, Howard Hughes and the transformation of Las Vegas' transportation and downtown.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sonja Saltman conducted by Barbara Tabach on August 18, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Saltman describes being born and raised in the Lower Austrian town of Pottschach, post-World War II as an only child. She talks about her father who was in the German Air Force, and her grandfather who served during World War I and was forced to register as a Nazi. She then recalls her first impression of Las Vegas, Nevada. Saltman explains how she, a non-Jew married to a Jew, became involved in the Jewish community. She then reminisces about visiting Las Vegas and her dislike for the Strip but her enjoyment of the adventure.
Archival Collection
Archival Component
Oral history interview with Bryan Chan conducted by Vanessa Concepcion, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on October 18, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Bryan Chan discusses his life growing up in California, his family's migration stories to the United States, and his education. He discusses his appearance on a reality television show which led to becoming a singer for boy band LMNT. Bryan talks about his entertainment career, including his move to Las Vegas to sing and host for the Chippendales show at the Rio Hotel and Casino. He also shares insight into his family's traditions and his favorite foods that his father and grandmother cooked.
Subjects discussed include: chain migration; Chippendales; giglife; virtual events; traditional foods.
Archival Collection