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 interview with Richard G. McCracken conducted by Claytee D. White on September 30, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. McCracken discusses multiple labor unions in Chicago, Illinois and Las Vegas, Nevada. He recalls various strikes, women in union leadership positions, and how the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 was different from the typical labor union in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Phillip L. Cook conducted by Richard Strahan on March 3, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cook first talks about his parents' move to Nevada and discusses how the school system has changed over time. He then describes the first businesses that opened up in the Downtown and Strip areas of Las Vegas, Nevada before discussing prostitution, Block 16, and recreational activities available to youth. Cook also talks about the first television sets and telephone systems made available, and he moves on to talk about the prices of things such as movies and haircuts when he was younger. The interview then moves to discussions on the Old Ranch, racial discrimination, school integration, the crime rate, and the school system in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nanyu Tomiyasu conducted by Andrew Russell on March 22, 1987. In this interview, Tomiyasu discusses his father's large-scale commercial farm in Las Vegas, Nevada and the amount of produce the farm produced through the 1920s. He expands on the impact of the 1922 railroad strike, particularly in regard to the Japanese population in the city. He recounts the general lack of discrimination and segregation against Japanese residents in Las Vegas, how Japanese families integrated with the community and how they maintained their cultural traditions. Later, he begins to discuss the impact of World War II on Japanese in the people living in the western states, Las Vegas' response to its Japanese residents, and how relocation and internment impacted families.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ruth Hazard conducted by Jerry L. Erb on March 10, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. At the time of the interview, Ruth had lived in Nevada for over forty years. Ruth discusses living and working in Las Vegas and Carson City, Nevada. She also covers various subjects including: the atomic tests and the growth of the hotel industry.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Woodrow Wilson conducted by Gwendolyn Goodloe on February 28, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Woodrow Wilson discusses working at the Basic Magnesium plant and about becoming the first African American elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1966. He also discusses serving as president of the Las Vegas, Nevada chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples in 1951 and how he was a co-founder of the Westside Federal Credit Union.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lucy Alires conducted by Candice Bush on March 06, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Alires is interviewed about her experiences as a Spanish-American living in Henderson, Nevada. Alires describes the growth of the city, including Carver Park, and discusses some of the discrimination faced by Latin and African American citizens. She also mentions some of the changes in the Las Vegas Strip over time, including the presence of Latin Americans in the hospitality workforce.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paulette Nelson conducted by Claytee White on March 2, 2009 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Nelson discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981 and working at the Nevada Test Site for two years. Nelson then talks about being offered a position in the cataloging department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries. Lastly, she talks about being supervisor of the Architecture Studies Library for nine years until her retirement in 2009.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Maurine Swarts conducted by Teresa McGhie on May 01, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Swarts discusses her personal history and Southern Nevada history. Swarts discusses the crash of Carole Lombard's plane, above ground nuclear tests, and her recreational interests. Swarts also describes how Las Vegas, Nevada has changed.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Michael Bryant conducted by Claytee D. White on August 05, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Bryant details life in the Westside community of Las Vegas, Nevada, his personal history, and life as an African American in Las Vegas. He describes his upbringing in Las Vegas, his father's high-end clothing store, and race relations between the African American and white communities of the city. Bryant also discusses casinos and other Las Vegas attractions, such as the presence of famous celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Muhammad Ali, as well as discussing the development of the Westside community. Julia Walton was also present for this interview.
Archival Collection