Stephen Kulifay interviews Patricia “Pat” Bryan (born in Alexandria, Minnesota on March 17, 1917) about her experiences living in Las Vegas. The two begin the interview by discussing her education at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Northwestern and her move to Las Vegas in 1947. Bryan also discusses her family’s involvement in the soda bottling business and eventual involvement in real estate. She goes on to describe a wide range of topics to include the first hotel properties, the entertainers at the time, the African American and Asian communities, the railroad, shopping, housing, brothels, banking, utilities, roadways, climate, and religion. The two also discuss the popularity of Las Vegas, with focus on tourists and gaming, the expansion and growth of the city, the cowboy attire worn in early days, the Helldorado parade, Nellis Air Force Base and government land, the beginning of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and her thoughts on the future of Las Vegas.
Terri Goodsell interviews Carey Burke (b. 1936 in Columbus, Ohio) about his experience living in Nevada. Burke talks about moving to and living in Henderson for a period of time before moving to Las Vegas. Burke mentions a few memorable teachers from his schooling as well as the recreational activities he took part in, such as going to Lake Mead and joining a YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) camp. After mentioning the small odd jobs as a newspaper deliverer and altar boy for the Catholic Church, Burke talks about moving to Las Vegas in 1949 and his eventual schooling at St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Rancho High School. The interview then moves to a discussion on the above-ground atomic testing, including Burke’s and his sister’s experiences with the tests, and he then describes the Helldorado customs and celebrations in earlier days. Burke later mentions some of the various prominent individuals in Las Vegas whom he met and with whom he went to school, including business own
On February 20, 1978, Laura Busch interviewed her mother, Pearl Busch (born 1936 in Winona, Minnesota) about her experience of living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pearl first describes her original move to Southern Nevada and discusses a wide range of topics including the first hotels on the Strip, the growth and expansion of the city, recreational activities such as skiing, and her family. She also talks about gambling and its impact on the city, the clubs and organizations to which she belonged, and her appreciation for the mild Las Vegas climate. The interview finalizes with her thoughts on the biggest excitement Las Vegas offers, her input on the high crime rate in Las Vegas, and her thoughts on the energy crisis and the future of solar energy in Las Vegas.
Bernard Vardiman interviews colleague Eddie Buxton (born 1938 in Las Vegas, Nevada), an officer with the North Las Vegas Police Department, about his family heritage and his experiences growing up in Las Vegas. Buxton describes the significance of some of his ancestors, from Rose Warren, who was one of the first Las Vegas pioneers, to Joe and Ernest May, two of the first police officers in Las Vegas. He specifically mentions the 1933 death of Ernest May, the first law enforcement officer in Las Vegas killed in the line of duty. Buxton also recalls the development of both Las Vegas and North Las Vegas over time, including specific locations and what used to be undeveloped land. He also describes going to school in the city, his father’s work on Hoover Dam, and other aspects about the way of life in Las Vegas.
Nancy Craft (née Pracejus) was born on August 30, 1937 in North Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her mother, Grace Franklin (née Farquhar) was a nursery school specialist and her father, Herbert Pracejus, was an engineer. She lived in Massachusetts for the first eight years of her life until her father’s health caused them to move to Las Vegas, Nevada on July 26, 1946. She attended John S. Park Elementary School and Las Vegas High School. In 1953, Craft successfully auditioned for the Rhytmettes and performed with the dance troupe until she graduated in 1955. After high school, she married her first husband and worked in a number of different offices. She married Norman Craft, a coach and athletic director for the Clark County School District, on May 31, 1964. Craft worked for Green Valley High School for a number of years before taking some time to raise her children. She chose to return to work in 1990 as a library aide. She retired in 2001.
Dorothy Ann Lee (née Damrow) was born in 1941 in New Jersey. Her family came to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1946 in an effort to improve her father’s health but chose to stay after she and her sister contracted chicken pox during the trip. She attended John S. Park Elementary School and Las Vegas High School. She moved around the city of Las Vegas a number of times during her childhood before settling in the Huntridge neighborhood with her mother in 1950. She worked for the Huntridge Theater during her high school years. She was also a member of the Rhythmettes, Las Vegas High School’s dance troupe, for three years and performed all over the United States during her time with them. After high school, Lee attended the University of Illinois until she met her future husband and dropped out. She lived in Chicago for six months before she and Danny Lee moved back to Las Vegas to get married. They married in 1960 at the Little Church of the West. The couple had four children together.