Oral history interview with Junior Craig conducted by Donald E. Bodkin on February 15, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Craig discusses bringing trucks in from Los Angeles, California to work on the building of the Davis Dam. Craig recalls being an active member of the member of the civil defense in Clark County, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gene Kilroy conducted by Claytee White on October 18, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Kilroy begins by discussing being born in a mining camp and his grandmother being an important figure in his life. Throughout the interview, Kilroy discusses working at various places on the Las Vegas Strip, including the Dunes Hotel and MGM Grand and meeting many famous people. He discusses the military being an important part of his life, as well as his time playing professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Eleanor Walker conducted by Claytee D. White on June 03, 2004 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Eleanor Walker discusses serving as President of the Las Vegas, Nevada Chapter of the NAACP in the early 1970s and holding several jobs throughout her lifetime, being among the first black individuals to hold a position in many of the companies for which she worked. She also talks about how she was a pioneer as a black woman in the Las Vegas community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Margaret D. Colton conducted by John C. Isham II on October 03, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Colton discusses her arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada and shares the story of how Searchlight, Nevada became a mining town after Colton’s husband's grandfather, George Frederick Colton, struck gold in the Superstitution Mountains. She also talks about the growth of mining in Searchlight. Throughout the interview, Margaret D. Colton is often referred to as Mrs. Gordon Colton.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia Marchese conducted by Helen F. Knorr on February 24, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Marchese discusses her life in Morehead, Kentucky before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her administrative work with the City of Las Vegas, the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, the Allied Arts Council of Southern Nevada, and the KNPR Nevada radio station. Marchese also discusses the cultural future of Las Vegas, her reactions to this future as a parent, and the value of the city's image to citizens and visitors.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Kenneth L. Berger conducted by Claytee D. White on April 15, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Berger discusses his upbringing in St. Paul, Minnesota and his career in the United States Army. He remembers his employment with Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier (EG & G), flying aircrafts, and his initial interest in firearms. Lastly, Berger talks about becoming a member of the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Don Burse conducted by John Grygo on March 01, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Burse discusses his personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with his family in 1971. He talks about his mother's employment as a maid at the Thunderbird Hotel, describes recreational activities he participated in, and the close-knit community in West Las Vegas. Burse discusses the increase of gangs and drugs in West Las Vegas and how it negatively affected the community. Later, Burse recalls starting his own personal security business, receiving his business license in 1995, and the growth of his company. Lastly, Burse talks about the Culinary Workers Union strike at the Frontier Hotel and Casino and the importance of union jobs to 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 David Welles conducted by Patrick Carlton on March 27, 2002 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Welles first relates his family background and the circumstances that led to the family settling in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s. He relates numerous anecdotes about growing up and attending school, and then explains how a back problem ended his chances for a career in the Navy and led him to consider less physically demanding fields. He took jobs surveying and drafting, which led to his decision to study architectural engineering, taking his degree at the University of Oklahoma. Meeting and marrying while he was in Oklahoma, the couple returned to Las Vegas, where he took multiple jobs at different architectural and engineering firms, gaining experience toward licensure as an architect. By the early 1970s, he had established his own firm with a partner, gaining a state contract to build elementary schools. Welles then speaks at length about partnering with the Daly Group to design and build the UNLV Lied Library and ends the interview with another extended discussion of his long-time involvement in the Rotary Club.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Florence Schroeder conducted by DeAnn E. Hunt on March 08, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Schroeder discusses her employment with the Extension Service as a home demonstration agent in Southern Nevada. She also describes her employment as a teacher in Clark County and Lincoln County, and explains her involvement with the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Later, Schroeder discusses the education system and social life in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection