Oral history interview with Tex Whitson conducted by David G. Schwartz on September 04, 2015 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Whitson discusses how he began playing poker, the growth of poker's popularity, and eventually the development of the World Series of Poker tournament. Whitson then recalls anecdotes of his interactions with Benny Binion, and the significance of the World Series of Poker to Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Judy Jetter conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on September 10, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Jetter discusses being mentored by Woody Herman and others about the art of jazz. She also talks about some jazz musicians in Las Vegas, Nevada, including Gus Mancuso, the Bootlegger, Terri James, and Jobell.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Morgan Mills conducted by Matthew Carr on March 26, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mills discusses being involved in major projects in the Las Vegas, Nevada area while he was living in California. Mills also discusses Boulder City, Nevada and Reno, Nevada. He later discusses his career as an electrical engineer, as well as working on the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stefani Evans conducted by Claytee D. White and Barbara Tabach on November 21, 2017 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Stefani Evans discusses how she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1980 with her husband and her feelings associated with the city, especially after the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. She describes in detail how she found out about the traumatic event as well as her experience of waiting all day to donate blood on October 2, 2017, the day after the shooting. Mostly, Evans explains with emphasis the good of humanity that she witnessed during the aftermath of that tragedy.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jay Duarte conducted by David Schwartz on January 27, 2017 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Duarte gives a description of the various positions and roles he has held in Station Casinos and other properties on the Las Vegas, Nevada Strip. Duarte then explains how the slot department works with other casino departments, and later describes the qualities that make both good and bad slot managers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Judy Smith conducted by Suzanne Becker on November 22, 2008 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. Smith discusses moving from Barstow, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958. She also discusses working as the assistant society editor for the Las Vegas Sun, graduating from the University of Nevada Reno, and moving back to Las Vegas with her husband and children to live in the John S. Park Neighborhood in 1967.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Russell Terbeek conducted by David Schwartz on May 29, 2015 for the Table Games Management Oral History Project. In this interview, Terbeek discusses his career as a table games dealer and manager at casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada such as Circus Circus, Rio, Treasure Island, Sahara, and the Golden Nugget.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tom Hawley conducted by Claytee D. White and Su Kim Chung on September 21, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Tom Hawley was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, but found home in Las Vegas, Nevada where his father worked as a professional musician. A local historian and TV reporter from a helicopter, Hawley reported the traffic and contributed local stories of great interest. After radio and TV jobs in the mid-1980s, Tom began reporting in 1988 and joined the News 3 team in 1995. Outside of the workplace, he enjoyed classical music and hiking. He played with the Henderson Symphony where his instrument was the string bass. Hiking has taken him to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and to the apex of Mount Charleston. Three weeks after the conclusion of this interview, Tom Hawley passed away after his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 60 years old.
Subjects discussed include: Star Policy; Production Shows; KUNV; Bob Stoldal; Henderson Symphony.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Janet Savalli conducted by Irene Rostine on September 21, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Savalli begins her interview by discussing her move to Las Vegas, Nevada as a child in 1945. Savalli then goes on to discuss her 46 year long career at the Southern Nevada Telephone Company. She describes rising through the company starting as an operator and ending as a community relations coordinator. Savalli discusses the company's merger with Sprint and the changes this brought about including the creation of a union and wage and benefits changes. Savalli ends her interview by talking about atomic testing, and how the testing grew to be a part of Las Vegas culture at the time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Harriet Trudell conducted by Caryll Batt Dziedziak on May 03, 2006 and July 25, 2006 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Trudell begins by discussing her early life, her parents, and attending boarding school. Trudell goes on to discuss her father's political activism and her grandparents' impact on her life. Trudell then describes her adult life in St. Petersburg, Florida with her husband and young children and their move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1962. Next Trudell talks about marching in civil rights demonstrations, including at Selma, Alabama. Trudell continues to discuss her activism in a variety of social movements including labor unions, school integration, women's rights, and welfare rights.
Archival Collection