Oral history interview with Theodore Garrett conducted by Marilyn Swanson on March 2, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Garrett discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to work for Six Companies during the construction of Hoover Dam, his job as a truck driver, the wages paid at the time, and the construction in Boulder City, Nevada. Garrett also mentions the food provided to the workers, the recreational activities available, and his family’s move to Boulder City.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marion Brooks conducted by Kathleen Kasmier on February 24, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Brooks talks about working in mining at Blue Diamond and some of the professional mining societies he was a part of. Brooks also discusses the environmental, economic, and demographic changes he saw in Las Vegas, Nevada throughout the decades.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jeanne P. Chretien conducted by Cynthia L. Reeves on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Chretien discusses her early education, first occupations, political activity, and involvement in groups such as the Girl Scouts in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also talks about her religious activity, enrolling into Nevada Southern University (now known as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), and the changes in Las Vegas over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Saul Wesley conducted by David Schwartz on January 13, 2017 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Wesley discusses the distinction between the roles of a director and of a vice president in slot management. He also describes how the slot department works within various casinos such as the MGM Grand Hotel (now Bally’s) and the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stan Irwin conducted by Cork Proctor on August 24, 2003 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. In this interview, Irwin talks about his early life performing comedy in nightclubs, hotels, and casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, writing comedic material, his military service, starting a family, and racism in the Las vegas entertainment industry in the 1950s and 1960s. He also discusses his work as vice-president and executive producer for Sahara Nevada Corporation, bringing The Beatles to Las Vegas, Nevada when all other hotels refused to do so, and the band's appearance at the Las Vegas Convention Center. He continues talking about being a comedian, actor, and special materials writer and his life since retirement.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hal G. Curtis conducted by Bill Teepe on February 24, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Curtis talks first about his work on the Union Pacific Railroad before discussing changes and development in Las Vegas, Nevada, including development on the Strip and Downtown areas. He also talks about Block 16, the El Rancho Vegas fire, social clubs, and religion.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Larry Corash conducted by David Schwartz on July 12, 2007 for the Remembering Jay Sarno Oral History Project. In this interview, Corash discusses his family background and involvement in the hospitality industry. He remembers his father’s hotel business, his investments in hotels with Jay Sarno, and the increase in popularity of themed hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada throughout the 1970s. Corash talks about the opening of the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, the planning for the Grandissimo, and how significant Caesars Palace was to the future of Las Vegas hotels and casinos.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Verlean Whitley conducted by Jasmine Smith on November 26, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Whitley talks about her parents and upbringing in Arkansas and traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada by bus in her late teens to live with relatives. She continues discussing her marriage and work, her church and community activities, and efforts to encourage voting in the late 1960s. She also mentions her involvement with the NAACP, her concerns about the closure of F Street in 2008 and her hopes for the revitalization of the Westside community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Debra March conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on February 21, 2007 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. March discusses attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in the 1970s and becoming the deputy administrator for the Nevada Real Estate Division in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also discusses being hired by UNLV and directing the Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies in 1996.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ellen Rosenbloom conducted by David G. Schwartz on July 09, 2007 for the Remembering Jay Sarno Oral History Project. In this interview, Rosenbloom discusses the life of her father, Sam Sarno, and his brother Jay Sarno. She talks about the opening of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, her uncle's career in gaming, and recalls his plans to open additional hotels and casinos in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection