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Fourth interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on March 24, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the fourth interview, Neal shares opinions on capital punishment, southern Nevada utility ownership, the ethics and political influence of the gaming industry, high hospital costs, and the bailout of the Economic Opportunity Board, among other issues. He comments on his induction into the Nevada State Senate Hall of Fame and reviews changes in Las Vegas over the years, particularly in education. Neal closes with thoughts on the future of downtown Las Vegas and the potential impact of planned renovations and high-rise buildings on the Westside.
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Fifth interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on June 1, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the fifth interview, Neal recalls the rise of the Black Panther Party and the atmosphere of fear when Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. In closing, Neal relates that voting machines were impounded to protect votes for Aaron Williams, the first black elected to the city council of North Las Vegas, and shares memories of Judge Mendoza.
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Newspaper article featuring Donnie Ensley. "Aunt Donnie" Ensley was 84 at the time the article was written and came to Las Vegas in 1931. She and her husband, Jake, operated a cafe on First St.
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Rabbi Sanford Akselrad discusses Project Ezra, an employment program he established during the recession in conjunction with the Jewish Family Service Agency.
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Dedee (DaVeen) Nave reveals a life filled with distinguished results in the cultural evolution of Las Vegas since her move to the valley in 1971. She was a young bride and soon a mother when she arrived with her can-do energies. She was a trained educator who was eagerly looked outside the classroom for a way to make a difference in the community when she took a position with the Camp Fire Girls Over the following decades, the impact of involving Dedee in many valued projects is evident. In this interview, she provides a glimpse into her various aptitudes and the many people she has worked with to great results. Dedee Nave was born DaVeen Maurer in 1948 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to David and Virginia Maurer and has a sister, Marilyn Maurer MacCollum. Their mother was a convert to Judaism who instilled them with a solid Judeo-Christian foundation. When Dedee became the bride of a mixed marriage, she raised her daughter Alisa in the Jewish faith. Alisa, who is married to Robb Worth, is a practicing attorney in Las Vegas. A graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, Dedee studied fine arts, considered being a theater major, modified her plans and became a skilled organizer of people and projects. This ability to envision, implement, and fundraise is seen in Dedee?s distinguished list of community programs, among them her work with: the City of Las Vegas Arts Commission; two terms on the Nevada State Arts Council; a past president of the Junior League of Las Vegas; former chairperson of the Junior League?s Endowment Fund Trustees; Lied Discovery Children?s Museum opening; and chairperson of Morelli House Public Program and many other initiatives.
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Irwin Kishner (1933 ? 2017) was a noted real estate developer, attorney and longtime community leader. In this oral history interview conducted in 2013, he briefly shares his childhood growing up Jewish in Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn, New York. He often speaks of himself in the third person, as he brings to life his roots, his family?s move to Miami where he graduated from high school and the tale of his relocation to Las Vegas to work with his uncles Herman and Maury Kishner. He describes his entrance to Las Vegas as that of a bon vivant. And truly, Irwin, fell in love with the city from the moment he arrived in 1960. Irwin was a graduate of University of Florida (1954) and University of Miami Law School (1958). Both his daughters, Sharon and Joanna, were born in Las Vegas and he reminisces about becoming a Jewish bachelor father to them. In June 2013, shortly before this interview, Irwin celebrated his 80th birthday. He was a proud father, grandfather and energetic businessman who left an indelible mark on everyone he knew. As a developer, he was known for the Somerset Apartments, Somerset House Motel, Somerset Gardens apartment complex, and the Somerset Shopping Center. He enjoyed reflecting on the many community organizations he dedicated himself to, from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to Opportunity Village to the original Las Vegas Rotary Club to the Community Concert Association?and that?s just to mention a few.
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Part of an interview with Gertrude Toston by Claytee White on July 21, 2006. Toston discusses going to work for Western Airlines, at first as a customer service agent in 1967, and then as a flight attendant, while going to school.
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Newspaper clipping with photograph featuring Toni Miller from Western Airlines buying an advertisement from NAACP representatives Saran Knight, Eleanor Walker and Lubertha Johnson.
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