Oral history interview with John Acres conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on July 11, 2017, and September 28, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Acres discusses his progressive jackpot system for the Lady Luck Casino, which was also installed in the Aladdin, the Frontier, and the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada. Acres relates history of his work in engineering and manufacturing gaming technology and recalls how and why he sold his first company, Electronic Display Technology (EDT). Acres then discusses Acres 4.0, which develops artificial intelligence that creates customer experiences while reducing operational costs, and explains the Gen7 concept of planning solutions that will last for seven generations.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John West conducted by Claytee D. White on August 10, 2000 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, West discusses his family background and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1954. West describes his educational experiences in Las Vegas and his career as a clinical psychologist. He recalls his father’s career in medicine and becoming the first African American licensed medical doctor in Las Vegas. West then talks about attending entertainment events before race integration was introduced, and the voting patterns in West Las Vegas. Lastly, West discusses his father’s decision to remain living in West Las Vegas and operating his medical office there after integration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Agnes Gauger conducted by Coleen Mancini on February 24, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Gauger discusses significant changes and growth in Southern Nevada, including gambling and other industries, family life and recreation, and the early atomic tests. Gauger also discusses housing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Howard Hughes, the McCarran Airport, medical facilities and education in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Terry Wood conducted by Gretchen Schraeder on November 14, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the interview, Wood describes her childhood in Dearborn, Michigan and the racial discrimination there. She describes meeting her husband and moving to Dallas, Texas for his job with General Dynamics. Wood describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and her life working and living in the downtown area. She details the restaurants, shopping, and gaming in the area. She also provides accounts of attending shows and meeting famous entertainers primarily at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino.
Archival Collection
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 Russell K. Grater conducted by Frederick Dougan on February 10, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Grater first talks about his move to the Southern Nevada area and his work that impacted the Hoover (Boulder) Dam project. He then talks about the town of St. Thomas, Nevada, the Lost City, and the activities of tourists. Grater also talks about his work in excavation, the indigenous American Indian tribes of the area, findings on petroglyphs, and the types of wildlife that were found in the area. He later talks about findings related to fossils, gold mining, the effects of World War II on the Hoover Dam project, and vegetation in the area.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with David Yancy conducted by Claytee D. White on September 19, 2022 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Yancy recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with his parents in 1963, living on the Westside, and many of the businesses within the area's commerce and entertainment corridor. He attended Rancho High School, and went to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). After graduation, Yancy worked in insurance and then became the auditor for the State of Arkansas. In 1976, he returned to Las Vegas and worked thirty-one years for the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), and he recalls laying out the grids and designing the bus routes for Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ed Walters conducted by David Schwartz on April 20, 2015 for the Table Games Management Oral History Project. In this interview, Walters discusses his career working in various Las Vegas, Nevada casinos, primarily the Sands Hotel and Casino. He begins with discussing his time as a teenage pool player and card hustler in New York City before his move to Las Vegas in 1959. Walters held positions working the casino floor, as a pit boss, and as a casino manager.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia Knox conducted by Rebecca Snetselaar and Brenda Cruz on April 13, 2016 for the Folklife Program of the Nevada Arts Council and the Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries. Knox begins the interview by discussing how she learned to cook and different types of fish. She describes how she cooks catfish, what sides go well with catfish, fishing, and the fresh quality of fishes in Las Vegas, Nevada. Then, Knox talks about her restaurant, how she created the menu, and problems she has had with her chefs. Lastly, she describes her family customs and cooking style.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard Schlegel conducted by Dennis McBride on June 03, 2006 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Schlegel discusses his involvement with Equal Rights Nevada (ERN) and the petition to amend the Nevada Constitution that prevented same-sex marriages in the early 2000s. He talks about the approach that ERN took to campaign against the petition and the role that the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage had at the time. Schlegel then describes the Marriage Protection Pledge, his experiences managing a campaign supporting marriage rights for gay couples, and explains how the outcome of the petition affected the Las Vegas, Nevada gay community.
Archival Collection