Oral history interview with Monica Gresser conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on September 20, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gresser discusses her upbringing in El Campo, Texas and her initial interests in architecture. She recalls attending Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, designing sustainable buildings, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001. Gresser talks about gentrification in the Las Vegas downtown area, low-income communities, and the environmental conditions in disadvantaged areas. Later, Gresser describes her focus on developing transitional housing for military veterans and unhoused individuals, hostile architecture, and the issue of poverty across the United States.
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 Tad Porter conducted by Joseph H. Cutchin III on October 17, 1972 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Porter discusses his early life and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1939. He remembers the Carole Lombard plane crash accident, the construction of Hoover Dam, and social changes in Las Vegas since the 1940s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Thomas Mulroy conducted by Don Kinney on February 27, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mulroy discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1950 from Chicago, Illinois due to health reasons. Mulroy discusses the positions he held working for Southern Nevada Power and Telephone Company; Bonanza Air Lines, before it was taken over by Hughes Airwest; and for the City of Las Vegas as the Senior Citizens Coordinating Officer. Mulroy also describes nuclear weapons tests, how Las Vegas has expanded, and entertainment in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rakesh Bhatnagar conducted by Claytee D. White on April 10, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bhatnagar discusses his early life in India. He remembers immigrating to the United States, enrolling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and earning a degree in hotel administration. Bhatnagar talks about his employment at the Las Vegas Hilton as a busboy, becoming captain in the room service department, and being selected to be Director of Purchasing in 1982. He describes transferring to the Sands Hotel and Casino, working with Sheldon Adelson, and obtaining a position at Vegas World. Lastly, Bhatnagar discusses starting his company, Hospitality Procurement and Design.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Leain Vashon conducted by Claytee D. White on July 29, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Vashon discusses joining and eventually getting elected the Vice President of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. He also discusses union benefits, strikes, today's union members, the future of the union movement, why unions are still necessary, family participation, and his 30 year employment as a bellman.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sammie Armstrong conducted by Claytee D. White on March 08, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Armstrong discusses his early life in Camden, Arkansas and growing up working on a farm. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1963, and describes the Westside at that time. Armstrong talks about the businesses on Jackson Street, churches on the Westside, and integration in Las Vegas. Later, Armstrong discusses co-founding a transportation business in the early 1980s, Ray & Ross Transport, and providing transportation for Nevada Test Site employees. Lastly, Armstrong talks about growing his business into one of the largest bus companies in Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Joy Rineer conducted by Stefani Evans on December 01, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Rineer talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She recalls her educational experience in Las Vegas, attending the University of Utah, and studying architecture. Rineer explains how architectural education, internships, testing, and licensing processes have evolved over time, and how these processes formerly limited opportunities for women in architecture. Rineer also reflects on projects she has worked on personally, her employment with architecture firm Simpson Coulter Studio, and the firm's emphasis on community-anchored architecture. Lastly, Rineer discusses planning for schools, and changing classroom layouts to accommodate different learning styles.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Sig Rogich conducted by Linda McSweeney on September 30, 2014 and November 07, 2014 and by Claytee D. White on May 24, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Rogich opens his interview by briefly discussing his Icelandic background and his family's move to Henderson, Nevada in 1954. He then discusses doing odd jobs as a child and his life as a youth in Henderson. He talks about his college education and working at the Lake Tahoe Hotel after college. Rogich then discusses getting into political campaign management, and how Las Vegas, Nevada has changed over time. In his second interview, Rogich describes his efforts to improve the community through the Academic Foundation, an organization he founded, and their various campaign initiatives including preserving Lake Tahoe and supporting Opportunity Village. In the third interview, Rogich discusses his background in politics, as well as his efforts to give back to the Las Vegas community. He has served on executive and advisory boards for Opportunity Village, Public Education Foundation, Board of Trustees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Board of Governors of Valley Health System, to name a few. He closes the interview with recalling his proudest moment in 2000 when the Sig Rogich Middle School opened in Summerlin.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mary M. Shaw conducted by Barbara Tabach on September 02, 2011 and November 14, 2011 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Shaw discusses her husband, Rollin, his work at the Nevada Test Site, and moving to various locations for his job. She also tells stories of the Shaws and their fellow Nevada Test Site employees’ parties, of her learning to paint with watercolors, and her children’s educations in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection