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Harold Smith oral history interview
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Abstract
Oral history interview with Harold Smith conducted by Troy Durham on July 08, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Smith discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1943 and recalls his first impressions of the city. Smith also talks about his employment at the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson, Nevada. Finally, he discusses the development of Fremont Street, recreational activities, and the Las Vegas Strip.
Archival Collection
Steve Hobbs oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Steve Hobbs conducted by Howie Basuk on February 17, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hobbs describes the different sports he was in and includes the various rewards and championships he accomplished. Hobbs also talks about becoming general manager of Olympian Incorporated.
Archival Collection
Howard E. Hollingsworth oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Howard E. Hollingsworth conducted by Joseph Concannen on February 23, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hollingsworth discusses the Mormon Fort, ranches, and the railroad.
Archival Collection
Thomas Mulroy oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Thomas Mulroy conducted by Richard Bidelman on March 16, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Mulroy discusses downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, local government, Old City Hall, Mormon Fort, citizen participation, and the construction of the Showboat Hotel and Casino.
Archival Collection
Emily McKinley oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Emily McKinley conducted by Glorialyn Gutierrez on March 01, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. McKinley begins by speaking about her childhood, her siblings and her extended family. McKinley gives a variety of anecdotes about being raised in Las Vegas, her family’s economic hardships and the house she grew up in. Lastly, McKinley talks about the businesses she owned with her husband, their hardships and her time working multiple jobs.
Archival Collection
Mary E. Habbart oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Mary E. Habbart conducted by Pamela Larkins on July 15, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. The two discuss Habbart’s personal family history and her family’s reasons for moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Habbart also describes social and economic changes to Las Vegas and her local dairy farm.
Archival Collection
Larry L. Woodrum oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Larry L. Woodrum conducted by Michael T. Groome on March 11, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Woodrum discusses banking in Southern Nevada. Woodrum then describes the growth in population of Las Vegas, Nevada, and explains why banking is important. Lastly, he discusses the advancement of banking in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
John Luckman oral history interview
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Oral history interview with John Luckman conducted by Harvey H. Harris on March 20, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Luckman discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 and working as a casino dealer. Luckman also describes his book publishing business.
Archival Collection
Will Vicuna oral history interviews
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Oral history interviews with Will Vicuna conducted by Stefani Evans on June 23 and July 3, 2023 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In the first interview, Vicuna goes into detail about his family's history, and his parents' life in Quezon, Philippines. When his brother sent Will a postcard of the newly opened Hilton Hotel and Casino, Will decided he would move to Las Vegas as soon as he completed his psychology degree in 1970. He concludes the first interview discussing his employment at the Hilton and the Flamingo Hilton, his 1972 marriage, and his 1973 UNLV graduation in Hotel Administration. In the second interview, Vicuna talks about his wife, Felicidad, who graduated from University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila in Medical Technology. He shares details about her career, and then talks about his own career in hospitality, working in a number of Las Vegas hotels including the Hilton and Flamingo Hilton, Palace Station, Peppermill Mesquite, and the Golden Eagle in Pahrump. Throughout the interviews, Vicuna discusses family reunions in Las Vegas, shopping for Filipino food, and eating at various restaurants around town. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Melvin Carter oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Melvin Carter conducted by Claytee D. White on October 12, 2000 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Carter begins by describing his family history, his father's experience in World War II, and his parents meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Carter describes his family's move to Las Vegas, Nevada in the late 1950s. He goes on to describe businesses on the Westside, including the Cove and the Brown Derby. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection