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Muriel Euchner oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00548

Abstract

Oral history interview with Muriel Euchner conducted by A. D. Hopkins on December 26, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Euchner discusses what it’s like being part of the “lost generation” of Tonopah, Nevada and her life as child there in the early 1900s.

Archival Collection

Lubertha Johnson oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00955

Abstract

Oral history interview with Lubertha Johnson conducted by Larry Buckner on February 10, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Lubertha Johnson discusses her family background, work experience, civic activity, and philosophy. She talks about discrimination in the workplace for Black people, segregation in Las Vegas, Nevada, and her forty year membership in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP). She also discusses the historic Westside neighborhood and its schools, the prejudice Black performers faced in the 1950s and 1960s, and how she feels disappointed in President Jimmy Carter.

Archival Collection

Maude Woo oral history interviews

Identifier

OH-03868

Abstract

Oral history interviews with Maude Woo conducted by Barbara Tabach on February 11, 2007 and February 25, 2007 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In these interviews, Woo discusses her early childhood in Korea, taking care of her siblings, and difficult memories of war. Later, she discusses travelling to the United States and having foster parents, and going to college for nursing. She married her first husband and they had two sons, David and John. The family moved to Orange County, California where Maude raised the family and eventually started a private practice. Later, Woo divorced her first husband. She married her current husband, Leland, in 2011. She discusses her family, the importance religion has in her life, and coming to Las Vegas, Nevada to retire. Digital audio and photographs available; digital transcript draft available.

Archival Collection

Frank Watts oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01928

Abstract

Oral history interview with Frank Watts conducted by Franklin Conn on April 01, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Watts discusses his personal history and Las Vegas, Nevada history. Watts describes working at the El Rancho Hotel and Casino as a comptroller and the development of other casinos in Las Vegas. Watts goes on to describe the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he was a professor during the 1960s and 1970s. He also talks about working at the Riviera, organized crime in Las Vegas, and the growth of the city.

Archival Collection

Ronnie Bank oral history interview

Identifier

OH-02205

Abstract

Oral history interview with Ronnie Bank conducted by Lael Byrd on November 30, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Bank discusses his personal history and growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his employment at the Las Vegas Hilton (currently Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino) and Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Bank then describes nightlife and entertainment on the Strip in the 1980s, discrimination at night clubs, and West Las Vegas entertainment. He goes on to describe the riots following Rodney King’s death, the challenges with interracial relationships, and why families began moving away from the Westside. Lastly, Bank discusses working as a disc jockey (DJ) in Las Vegas, African American radio stations, and the development of the Westside.

Archival Collection

Karen Carmichael oral history interview

Identifier

OH-03652

Abstract

Oral history interview with Karen Carmichael conducted by Stefani Evans on December 9, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.

In this oral history Carmichael discusses the world of professional dancing in the 1970s through the 1990s. She discusses her start in the industry and a variety of Las Vegas shows she participated in including: the Union Plaza Can Can, the American Dream Festival, Dasin’ Dirdy, and Babes Ahoy. She also goes into great detail behind her vision for Skyline, her adagio act, and the many celebrities she encountered throughout her career.

Carmichael also discusses her second career in jewelry design, and her experiences working with art galleries on the Las Vegas strip. She details the experiences of starting off at traveling art festivals, working her way up to award winning designs, and the art of jewelry photography. She also discusses the process of researching and publishing history for her book. She ends the interview with a discussion of what it means to be an artist and role of creativity in her life and those around her. She also discusses the ways in which others such as Betty Francisco, Hedy Jo Star, Debbie Reynolds and Sammy Davis Jr. had shaped her life.

Archival Collection

Barbara G. Brents oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00124

Abstract

Oral history interview with Barbara Brents conducted by Claytee D. White on January 12, 2010 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. In this interview, Brents talks about why she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987, her experience in the historic John S. Park Neighborhood, some history of Las Vegas, and politics.

Archival Collection

Thomas Mulroy oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01350

Abstract

Oral history interview with Thomas Mulroy conducted by Don Kinney on February 27, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mulroy discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1950 from Chicago, Illinois due to health reasons. Mulroy discusses the positions he held working for Southern Nevada Power and Telephone Company; Bonanza Air Lines, before it was taken over by Hughes Airwest; and for the City of Las Vegas as the Senior Citizens Coordinating Officer. Mulroy also describes nuclear weapons tests, how Las Vegas has expanded, and entertainment in Las Vegas.

Archival Collection

Dennis Ortwein oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01416

Abstract

Oral history interview with Dennis Ortwein conducted by Claytee D. White on May 06, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Ortwein discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956 and his various careers as an elementary school teacher, a junior high teacher, and an elementary school principal. He also discusses working at a teacher's college in Nigeria, being a church choir director, and his experience as a singer. He then talks about school integration in Las Vegas and above-ground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site.

Archival Collection

W. Dean Whitaker oral history interview

Identifier

OH-01965

Abstract

Oral history interview with William Dean Whitaker conducted by Claytee D. White on April 05, 2010 for the Boyer Las Vegas Early History Project. Whitaker discusses being a member of the 398th Bomb Group during World War II and being captured by the Germans. He also discusses living in a suburb of Los Angeles, California then moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1990.

Archival Collection