Oral history interview with Elizabeth Garrison conducted by Walter John Ritzau on February 25, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Garrison first talks about her schooling in Las Vegas, Nevada, the atomic testing, the Devils Hole in Ash Meadows, early church involvement, and some of the environmental aspects of Las Vegas. Garrison later describes her work for the Central Telephone Company and the Helldorado Parade.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hank Kovell conducted by Patrick F. Smith on September 26, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Kovell briefly discusses his life in Northern California before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in July 1956, where he would open and run a Las Vegas, Nevada advertisement agency, Kovell Inc., between 1964 and 1969. He then discusses his company's publications of political campaigns, Las Vegas casino publicity, and his work as a public relations director in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jerry Lockhart conducted by O’Sheyon Rollins on April 17, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Lockhart discusses his personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965 after transferring to Nevada Southern University (now University of Nevada, Las Vegas). He talks of his impressions of the city at the time, his first accounting job at Southwest Gas Corporation, and his employment with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) in the 1970s. Lockhart then recalls being the first African American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Nevada in 1977 and being appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission in 1983. Later, Lockhart discusses the process to qualify for employment as a CPA and owning a CPA firm in the 1980s. Lastly, he describes West Las Vegas businesses and shares his thoughts on the growth of the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alfred Isola conducted by Stephen Kalish on March 15, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Isola discusses Las Vegas, Nevada’s lack of a unified garbage system and how dumping sites have had to adjust their practices in order to limit their impact on pollution. Isola also explains the different disposal protocols for wet and dry trash.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bob E. Favor conducted by Paul Ortiz on an unknown date in the 1970s for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Favor discusses moving to Nevada in 1952 after his military service. Favor then discusses his various careers in Nevada including accounting and self-employment.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard T. Chapter conducted by Stan Hawkins on March 6, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Stan Hawkins discusses the cost of living in Las Vegas, Nevada, Howard Hughes, the Boulder Dam, the Union Pacific Railroad, the old Mormon Fort, gambling, local businesses, and the weather in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
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Oral history interview with Samuel E. Wright conducted by Claytee D. White on October 08, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Wright discusses Stokely Carmichael, the black power philosophy, and his remorse in the Washington riots. Wright also discusses job opportunities in Las Vegas, Nevada and the lack of commissioner support to build a public mass transit system. Wright then shares stories about the Westside neighborhood and other black neighborhoods of the 1980s. He talks about the closing of F Street and resulting protests in 2008 and 2009, and the creation of Symphony Park.
Archival Collection