Oral history interview with Elton Garrett conducted by Alan Gurwitz on March 01, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Elton Garrett discusses the development of Boulder City, Nevada, how the city has grown, his work for the Boulder City Journal, atomic testing at the Nevada Test Site, and the founders of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hattie Canty conducted by Claytee White on February 27 and June 17, 1998 for the Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. In this interview, Hattie Canty recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the late 1960s and working as a maid for the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino and later the Maxim Hotel and Casino. Canty discusses her tenure as the Culinary Union Local 226 President during which she faced several labor challenges and went to jail at least six times while striking. Hattie also recalls how she influenced contract negotiations for the downtown hotels, improved race relations among workers, involved more members in union operations, and implemented the Culinary Training School.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Theda Grinnell conducted by Fletcher Corey on February 28, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Grinnell first talks about her move to Nevada and both her and her husband’s employment at the Nevada Test Site. She also talks about the atomic testing blasts, the United States' competition with Russia on nuclear technology, and her employment history. Grinnell later discusses her church membership and goes into detail about the race riots and how they involved and impacted her family. She ends the interview with a discussion of flash floods, the Culinary Workers Union, how World War II affected industry in Las Vegas industry, and the social changes in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Angela Tampol conducted by Isabelle Rice on November 20, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interivew, Tampol shares her experiences as a Filipina American living in the Bay Area of California and since 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her thoughts on beauty standards for Asian women, living in the Philippines for a short time for education, and her involvement in the Bruha Baddies community. She also shares her experience (or lack thereof) of racism as a person of color.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marta Sorkin conducted by Claytee D. White on March 02, 2009 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. In this interview Marta Sorkin discusses her family and her experience moving to California, and then to Las Vegas, Nevada. Sorkin talks about working at the James R. Dickinson Library at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and later in Lied Library, and helping to implement and update various databases. She briefly discusses her involvement with Hillel and the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hal Erickson conducted by Alice Brown on April 01, 1998 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Erickson discusses starting work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas libraries in 1965 and his first impressions of the library. Erickson discusses the organizational and catalog systems of the library and his efforts to improve library organization.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Adelaide Robbins conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on April 18, 2008 and April 29, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Robbins discusses her experience in piano lessons at age six and having a professional career by the age of 12. Robbins also discusses playing many Las Vegas, Nevada venues and "always [being] the only woman in the band."
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Barbara Cole conducted by Claytee D. White on June 29, 2005 for the the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Barbara Cole talks about the history of African Americans in Las Vegas, Nevada previous to the 1950s. She discusses her early childhood and her large family, as well as the family's contributions to the community. Barbara shares her thoughts on the race relations in Las Vegas throughout her life and details some of her own personal experiences with it. She also shares her knowledge of the foundation of Las Vegas' Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Haines conducted by Thomas S. Hager on March 25, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Haines discusses moving to Reno, Nevada in 1931 and later to Tonopah, Nevada to be a card dealer. He describes building the Town Hall Casino, and explains how local troops stationed in Tonopah were the customer base until the bombings in Japan during the end of WWII. Lastly, Haines discusses his employment at the Frontier Club, mobster Bugsy Siegel, and how the mob influenced the gaming industry.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edwina Danzinger conducted by Leanne Terry on February 26, 1980 and February 29, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Danzinger first talks about her family’s early upbringing in Nevada, her involvement in Boy Scouts and her various positions of employment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Danzinger also discusses the changes in the crime rate, air pollution, and the changes made to the university by the Buckley Amendment.
Archival Collection