Oral history interview with James A. (Jimmy Gay) Gay III conducted by Joyce M. Wright in 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Gay recalls details about his education in Arkansas and his training in mortuary science in Chicago, Illinois and discusses the nine-year delay in obtaining his license to practice as a mortician in Nevada because of racial discrimination. He recounts his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1946, his experiences as a recreation director and as a personnel and communications director for the hotel industry, work that he took while waiting for his licensure to practice. He also talks about his career as a mortician with Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas, the atomic testing of the 1950s and 1960s, and his long involvement with the NAACP and the Freedom Fund. He closes by reciting two poems that have inspired him and express his philosophy.
The Nevada Women's History Project Records (1995-2008) contain the early organizational records of the Nevada Women's History Project (NWHP), which was created to collect and disseminate information about women throughout Nevada's history. The collection reflects the early organization of the Nevada Women's History Project's (NWHP) Southern region and the variety of events and projects with which the organization was involved with across the state of Nevada. Materials include membership lists, meeting minutes, press releases, project files, and NWHP newsletters.
The Junior League of Las Vegas Oral History Project (2011-2019) consists of five oral history interviews conducted by Carole Terry between 2011 and 2019. Interviewees discuss their experiences living in Las Vegas and being part of the Junior League of Las Vegas. Interviews exist as physical transcripts only; no audio is available.
The Las Vegas Bugle Photograph Collection on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (1993-2002) consists of photographic prints, negatives, and contact sheets chronicling events and activities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities throughout southern Nevada. Many of the photographs originally accompanied newspaper articles published in the Las Vegas Bugle.
The History of Nursing in Southern Nevada Oral History Project Records (1965-2014) are comprised of material related to a volunteer project initiative at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Nursing to conduct oral history interviews with nurses who have practiced in Southern Nevada. The collection contains subject files related to the project, as well as audio, video, and transcript files for the interviews. The collection also includes general information on nursing in Southern Nevada such as research papers and documents from the Nevada Nurses Association.
Jimmy Gay discusses racism in Las Vegas before and after World War II. He says that prior to WWII, there wasn't a lot of prejudice, and there were only a few African American families. After WWII, he says that the influx of soldiers returning and the migration of Black families from the South led to Las Vegas becoming the "Mississippi of the West."