Oral history interview with Hazel Gay conducted by Claytee D. White on December 02, 1995 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Gay discusses her husband being the first African-American mortician in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as being the assistant manager at the Sands Hotel and Casino and an executive at the Union Plaza. Gay also discusses running dress shops and working as a display artist and retail clerk in other shops.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John E. Erb conducted by Susan Korzennik on February 23, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Erb discusses construction work, family life, and local social, religious, and community activities in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. He also discusses being a member of the Elks Club and the Clark County Gentlemen’s Club.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Wendell Bunker on October of 1971 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wendell Bunker (b. 1911 in St. Thomas, Nevada), discusses early Las Vegas, Nevada and the socio-economic changes that have taken place in the Valley. Bunker talks about the Boulder (Hoover) Dam and religion and education in Nevada. He also describes working for the Union Pacific Railroad and the importance of the railroad to the economic development of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Arne Rosencrantz conducted by Claytee D. White on February 09, 2010 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. Rosencrantz discusses living in the John S. Park Neighborhood from 1954 to 1970. He also talks about his father, a professional violinist who owned furniture stores and played at the Sahara Hotel and Casino. Rosencrantz then discusses his career as a business owner of Garrett's Furniture and a real estate agent.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gerome Sapp conducted by Claytee D. White on September 9, 2015 for the Building a Las Vegas Tech Culture Oral History Project. In this interview, former NFL player Gerome Sapp recounts his personal, academic, and business experiences. He first came to Las Vegas, Nevada in September 2012 seeking investment opportunities for his company, Fluencr. A year later, he received the investment and moved to Las Vegas. Eventually, Sapp began working with the 2015 Life is Beautiful festival to document the artists of the Art Motel.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Joylin Vandenberg conducted by Charlie Bloom on February 09, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Vandenberg discusses life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vandenberg then describes the plane crash that killed Carole Lombard, the opening of Boulder (Hoover) Dam with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the atomic bomb tests. Vandenberg later discusses the changes in Las Vegas, specifically the increase in pollution, population, and casinos.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Suzette Cox conducted by Andrew Lazarus on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Suzette Cox discusses her experiences living in Las Vegas, Nevada. She then discusses her careers in the police departments and a local newspaper company. Topics also included racial discrimination, sports, and how the development of the Strip influenced her life while attending school in Las Vegas, as well as its relation to tourism and aboveground atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Patrice Johnson conducted by Kiley Veigel on November 16, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Johnson reflects upon her more than 20-year career as a teacher and school administrator in California and in the Clark County School District. She discusses her upbringing and how she always wanted to be a teacher, her training to become a teacher, and experiences in teaching. She describes her path to becoming a school principal, and eventually assistant superintendent for the Clark County School District. She also discusses how her family life has shaped her approach to teaching, in addition to regular job duties that she faced as a teacher and administrator.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Phillip L. Cook conducted by Richard Strahan on March 3, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cook first talks about his parents' move to Nevada and discusses how the school system has changed over time. He then describes the first businesses that opened up in the Downtown and Strip areas of Las Vegas, Nevada before discussing prostitution, Block 16, and recreational activities available to youth. Cook also talks about the first television sets and telephone systems made available, and he moves on to talk about the prices of things such as movies and haircuts when he was younger. The interview then moves to discussions on the Old Ranch, racial discrimination, school integration, the crime rate, and the school system in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ben Mammina conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on October 21, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Mammina discusses his early life in Chicago, Illinois, and his work renovating movie theaters and building hotels. Mammina moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994 and he recalls developing master plans for Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and obtaining a degree in civil engineering. He then describes the development of security technology and its effect on building planning. Lastly, Mammina discusses the process of choosing a building master plan.
Archival Collection