Oral history interview with Sonny V. Mallari conducted by Chanele Mallari on November 26, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Sonny Mallari talks about his childhood in Masantol, Pampanga province, Philippines with his five siblings. He discusses his family's immigration to Salinas, California and details of his life and parents' lives in the United States. Sonny shares stories of being bullied in school and what the immigration process was like from his point of view at the age of seven. He also talks about his professional work as a cook, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada for work, and becoming a Culinary Workers Union member.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ann L. Stewart conducted by Mari C. Snyder on February 24, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Stewart discusses her personal history and Las Vegas, Nevada history. She describes working at the Nevada Test Site, observing nuclear weapons tests, and working on the Kelso-Turner housing project. Stewart discusses her non-fiction writing and the subjects of her writing, as well as being published by local newspapers. She describes the history of higher education in Las Vegas and the struggles senior citizens face as they get older. Stewart also talks about her Methodist faith, historic structures in Las Vegas, racial segregation in the city, and the criminal activity of juveniles.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Thalia Dondero conducted by Suzanne Becker on March 10, 2008 and August 22, 2008 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Dondero opens her interviews discussing why she became involved with the Las Vegas, Nevada Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and eventually the Nevada State PTA. Dondero then describes her work with the Girl Scouts and her election campaign for a seat on the Clark County Commission. Dondero also discusses Las Vegas city development and how the city has flooding issues. Later Dondero discusses her membership in the Las Vegas Junior League and her work throughout the state to supervise the living conditions of foster care children. Lastly, she describes her experience as a commissioner working to ensure various goods and services were available to the community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bob Michael conducted by Jeff Van Ee on April 17, 2010 for UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, Bob Michael talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, memories from his childhood, and details of the changing Nevada landscape. Michael shares his expertise in environmentalism and the history of land protection in the state. He discusses areas of the state he feels should be left untouched by humans, his thoughts on protecting lands as National Recreation Areas (NRAs) including the Spring Mountains, and wilderness acts that have been passed and changed throughout the 1900s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gregory Crawford conducted by Claytee D. White on August 18, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Gregory shares his background growing up in Los Angeles, California and the influence that music had on his young life. He talks about his employment history working nearly three decades for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' University Libraries and his role in acquiring academic materials. Gregory also discusses his "foodie" hobby, favorite eateries, and continued interest in music. Subjects discussed include: Seafood City; Farmer Brothers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jean McColl conducted by Sam C. Melchiome Jr. on March 01, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, McColl discusses her childhood and family in Searchlight, Nevada and her eventual move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1944. McColl also discusses her education, Boulder (Hoover) Dam, Mount Charleston, Lee Canyon, atomic testing, Las Vegas entertainment, and juvenile delinquency.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gordon Smith conducted by Claytee D. White on January 29, 2013 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Smith discusses school and after-school pursuits, changes in Las Vegas, Nevada, summer jobs, and college. He also talks about his military service and returning to Las Vegas to start a barbering business.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Grady Aitken conducted by David Schwartz on June 03, 2015 for the Table Games Management Oral History Project. In this interview, Aitken discusses his upbringing and early interest in the gaming industry. He remembers completing dealing school at the Harrah’s Casino in Reno, Nevada, working for Bill Harrah, and interacting with high profile players. Aitken talks about junkets, differences between casinos in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, and the licensing process to become a casino floor manager. Later, Aitken describes the opening of the MGM Grand Hotel in 1993, becoming a pit manager, and auditioning dealers. Lastly, Aitken discusses his role as Director of table games at the Westgate Las Vegas Casino Resort.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Celesta Lowe conducted by Patrick W. Canlton on February 06, 2002 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Lowe begins by discussing her early life in Baker, California and her father’s role as a station agent for the Tonopah Tidewater Railroad during the 1920s and 1930s. Lowe then describes her family moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s. Lowe chronicles the process state legislatures took to open Nevada Southern University in 1957 and her role as an administrative assistant in the main office of the school. Lowe recounts her career at Nevada Southern University, the expansion of the campus, and renaming it University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Lastly, Lowe talks about her switch from an administrative assistant to a librarian at UNLV.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Peter F. Perazzo conducted by Claytee D. White on July 22, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Perazzo discusses his personal history and moving from Reno, Nevada to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s. Perazzo talks about his Native American ancestry, his career in land surveying, and how construction and land surveying have changed over the years. He then describes designing public and residential buildings in Las Vegas, and at the Nevada Test Site. Later, Perazzo discusses his employment at the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1985 and in 1995 at the Nevada Department of Transportation, where he was involved in many state projects such as the Hoover Dam bypass, Red Rock state road, and freeway widening.
Archival Collection