Oral history interview with Cristina Alano conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on September 9, 2022 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Alano recalls a happy childhood in Pampanga, Philippines. After attending college for a banking and finance degree, she briefly worked at a bank before marrying her husband and immigrating to the United States. She would go on to move to Colorado where she lived for seven years, and finally moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2003. Alano recalls her first jobs in Las Vegas, including Walmart, SEI Electronics, a cashier at the Riviera, and finally the airport where works as a supervisor at Hudson as well as an assistant manager at Brighton. She discusses what she has done at each job and how she ended up getting involved with the Culinary Union in 2016. Since joining the union, she has done everything from being a shop steward to canvassing, most recently flying down to Georgia to help campaign for Senator Warnock. Throughout the rest of the interview, she discusses everything from food, to festivals, and her family.
Text
Oral history interview with Dan Bennett conducted by Guy Pence on October 03, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. During this interview Bennett talks about the visits from presidents and other important people to the Las Vegas, Nevada area and discusses the 1942 plane crash of Carole Lombard’s plane. He also mentions Boulder Dam and describes the economic, social and environmental changes that have taken place in Southern Nevada over the years.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Barr Smith conducted by Melvin Smail on February 22, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Smith discusses his personal history and the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Smith discusses working at the Basic Magnesium plant, playing high stakes poker games with prominent gamblers like "Nick the Greek," and the casinos built on the early Las Vegas Strip. Smith also describes how Las Vegas has changed, the different forms of gambling and gaming available in the city, and life in 1940s Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Julie Cleaver conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on May 19, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Cleaver discusses her early life in Durham, North Carolina. Cleaver talks about attending Ohio State University, studying landscape architecture, and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993. She describes master planning for the Green Valley area, master planned communities in Summerlin, and making changes to home design criteria. Lastly, Cleaver talks about the future of Summerlin master planned communities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Louise Kirkwood conducted by Richard Probst on February 28, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Kirkwood discusses her life in Southern Nevada and her experience with navigating Las Vegas, Nevada as streets and buildings, home values, and living expenses changed over time. Kirkwood also discusses the energy crisis of the 1970s and the resulting gasoline rationing; the growth of the Strip, and pollution caused by atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Oliver Crickman conducted by William Hawley on March 03, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Crickman discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and his gradual move from the position of cook’s helper to executive chef at the Royal Inn. Crickman goes into detail about the operation of Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas restaurants, the demographics of cooks, and how the hospitality and housing industries have changed.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Carlson conducted by Alice Brown on March 19, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Dr. William Carlson speaks about his experience working at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Carlson, who joined UNLV in 1957, provides his accounts on the history of the university library. Carlson also talks about some of the first librarians who were a part of the library, the funding and donations used to build and develop it, and the eventual construction and architecture of the James R. Dickinson Library.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mert Wilber conducted by Gabriel Filippone on March 05, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wilber discusses his arrival to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1942 to work for the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson, Nevada. Wilber describes how and where the magnesium was mined. Wilber lastly discusses the low crime rate at the time, and the sudden growth in population starting in the 1950s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia Bearce conducted by Guy Pence on September 29, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Bearce discusses some of the social and developmental changes, including the recreational activities involving swimming, going to theaters, watching stock car races, and attending Helldorado events. She also discusses some of the development of Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia Mulroy conducted by Claytee D. White on November 18, 2013 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Mulroy discusses her arrival in Las Vegas, Nevada as a University of Nevada, Las Vegas student. She also discusses water conservation for the Las Vegas Valley, becoming the general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District from 1989 to 2014 and the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority from 1993 to 2014.
Archival Collection