Oral history interview with Tony Scodwell conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on September 29, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. In this interview, Tony Scodwell discusses going to the Berklee School of Music, playing across the world, playing in Las Vegas, Nevada, and eventually settling down in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles Seals conducted by Claytee D. White on July 14, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Seals discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up on the Westside. He recalls attending Madison Elementary School, being involved in church activities, and his initial interests in religious ministry. Seals talks about working in the funeral industry, and starting a church in the mid-1980s. Seals recalls the African American church leaders in the Westside and other community leaders at the time. He describes businesses on Jackson Street and recreational activities he participated in. Later, Seals discusses his mother, Rosie Seals, and her involvement in the Welfare Rights movement, being a founding member of the Clark County Welfare Rights Organization (CCWRO), and starting Operation Life. Lastly, Seals talks about the issue of substance abuse, organized crime, and the lack of financial investment into the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Leslee Thomas conducted by Claytee D. White on March 13, 2024 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Thomas is the granddaughter of Larry Wilburn and daughter of Terry Wilburn, owners of Larry's Sight & Sound, a business institution in the Westside. The business, first located at 1318 D Street, was initially called Larry's Music Bar. The Music Bar moved to Owens Avenue and was renamed Larry's Sight & Sound. For 35 years until 1992, the music shop drew in stars and locals for its vinyl records, record players, and casssettes. In the interview, Thomas shares how she learned to work in the business, stay connected to family, and be a contributing member of the community. She describes her dreams for the Westside, which include giving tourists reasons to visit the Black community, capital investments, and marketing. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stuart Mason conducted by Claytee White on November 09, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Mason discusses his company, Taylor Construction, and gives an overview of the hotels the company has built and background information about them. He then describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to build Caesars Palace in 1964 and how the Civil Rights Movement impacted the construction scene. He then talks about old and new building projects, and the differences between being his own boss and working for someone else.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Junior Fonotisatele conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Junior discusses his Samoan background and the importance of strong family values. He talks about his early years in Utah and California before moving to Las Vegas where he attended and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Junior shares his employment history as a bodyguard for Floyd Mayweather, an entrepreneur of a clothing brand, and an investor into a range of ventures including security, solar energy, and mental health. He concludes with a discussion of Samoan cultural celebrations, his religion, and the significance of his tattoos.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Burton Cohen conducted by Claytee White on January 09, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Burt reflects on the positions he held in numerous famous Las Vegas, Nevada Strip casinos, the celebrities he hired and befriended, and offers a unique look at the behind the scenes marketing and entertainment strategies that he helmed. He shares stories of becoming entrenched in casino operations and his reflections of union experiences.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Anna Bailey conducted by Claytee White on March 03, 1997 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Bailey opens her interview by describing her early life, family, and dance training. She discusses moving to Los Angeles, California at age fifteen, her first dancing gigs, and touring in London, England. She also talks about her experiences as an African American dancer including issues with segregation while touring in the southern United States. Bailey then discusses her life in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1950s, and working as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. She describes the club, the other dancers that performed there, and how the African American community felt when the club closed. Bailey then discusses how her husband and the entertainers Josephine Baker and Frank Sinatra helped integrate Las Vegas. She ends her interview by describing the last hotel she danced at, the Flamingo, where she performed in an integrated dance line.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Linda Chase conducted by Claytee D. White on April 01, 2008 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Chase discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 and what life was like in the city at the time. She describes living in the Bonanza Village neighborhood, racial integration in Las Vegas, and popular recreational activities of the time. Chase talks about the Nevada Test Site, nuclear weapons tests, and an underground testing accident that lead to leukemia in those exposed to the radiation. Chase also discusses the future of Las Vegas being dependent on its water management and her nonfiction writing on Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Woodrow Smith conducted by Claytee D. White on February 10, 2014 and February 12, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In these interviews, Smith discusses his upbringing in Chattanooga, Tennessee and describes moving to another part of Chattanooga due to the violence his family experienced. He talks about attending Tuskegee University, studying engineering, and being taught by Tuskegee Airmen professors. Later, Smith discusses his work at the Nevada Test Site, the aerospace industry, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the mid-1980s. Lastly, Woodrow recalls his experiences in Las Vegas and describes investing into a McDonald's franchise.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bruce Eaton conducted by Jay Brewer on April 24, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Eaton discusses his employment as a laborer for Six Companies during the construction of the Hoover (Boulder) Dam and the racial conflicts that occurred. Eaton also talks about a federal investigation he was involved in that involved suspected espionage. Other topics that Eaton discusses include his enlistment in the United States Navy and his role as city manager of Boulder City.
Archival Collection