Oral history interview with Walter V. Long conducted by Brenda Baechle on February 19, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Long discusses his arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada from Tonopah, Nevada in 1930. Long also discusses his experiences as a teacher and principal in various Las Vegas schools. Other subjects Long discusses include his education, the Boulder (Hoover) Dam's construction, laws for obtaining a teaching certificate during the 1930s, his experiences with Las Vegas High School, and his early life in Tonopah.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Celese Rayford conducted by Phillip Walley on November 14, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Rayford discusses her career as an educator in Las Vegas, Nevada. She begins by describing her upbringing in Las Vegas, the Westside community of Las Vegas, and attending Spellman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Rayford then discusses her involvement with Top Teens of America and how that program helps to prepare young girls for college. She continues, talking about the effectiveness of disciplinary action against students, her experiences from her first year of teaching, and headstart programs for students who live in poverty.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Woodrow Wilson conducted by Perry Kaufman on November 01, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wilson discusses work at the McNary sawmill in Arizona, and later arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada to work at the Basic Magnesium Plant, located in Henderson, Nevada. Wilson also talks about discrimination between maids in motels and hotels, along with moments of segregation at the Basic Magnesium Plant. He then explains how he organized and became a board member of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mitchell A. Cobeaga conducted by Raymond E. Frey on March 14, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Mitchell Cobeaga discusses early life in Nevada, the history of the Nevada State Bank, education in Nevada in the 1920s and 1930s, and Southern Nevada's influence over the rest of the state.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gloria Hewitt conducted by Claytee D. White on June 21, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Hewitt discusses her early life in Cleveland, Ohio. She recalls attending Talladega College in Alabama, her teaching experience in Chicago, Illinois, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1991. Hewitt talks about her interests in politics, organizing an event to register people to vote, and being a founding member of the Southern Nevada Coalition of Concerned Women (SNCCW). Lastly, Hewitt discusses the importance of education and parental involvement in schools.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard "Dick" Rizzo conducted by Stefani Evans on October 18, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Rizzo discusses his early life in Massachusetts and initial interest in construction. He remembers moving to Arizona to join Tutor Perini Building Corporation in 1977, the company’s first Las Vegas, Nevada project, and their company’s decision to move to Las Vegas in 1980. Rizzo talks about the company's public image, building CityCenter, and the importance of maintaining professional relationships with all members in a building project. Later, Rizzo recalls the making of the book
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Everlena Brown conducted by Claytee D. White on June 15, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Brown discusses her upbringing in Moro, Arkansas and moving to Little Rock, Arkansas. She talks about the Little Rock Nine students and her experience attending a segregated school for African Americans. Brown recalls attending Clark County Community College (now College of Southern Nevada) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), becoming a nurse, and the process of applying for nursing positions. Later, Brown discusses living in the Westside, entertainment on Jackson Street, and participating in church activities. Lastly, Brown describes changes in the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Warfel conducted by Dennis McBride on March 11, 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Warfel discusses his personal history and his experiences as a gay priest within the Episcopal Church. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and interviewing for a ministry job at Christ Church. Warfel describes same-sex blessings and marriages in the Episcopal Church and the pressures of vestry approval that he dealt with during his career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Perazzo conducted by Claytee D. White on June 16, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Perazzo discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about attending Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California to obtain a degree mathematics and computer science. Perazzo then recalls his father's work in architecture and his father's employment at the Nevada Test Site. Later, Perazzo discusses becoming a card dealer at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino and describes the challenges in working at casinos. Lastly, Perazzo talks about the development of Fremont Street.
Archival Collection