Oral history interview with Mary Ward conducted by Irene Rostine on March 14, 2012 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Ward discusses moving to Nevada in the 1950s with her husband to live closer to his family. She describes living in both Pahrump and Las Vegas, Nevada, and the commute between both cities. Ward then talks about the various places she was employed including the County Commissioner's office and the local telephone company. She also worked as a telephone operator at the Frontier Hotel and Casino, Sands Hotel and Casino, and the Flamingo Hotel. She goes on to talk about the duties telephone operators had, how important the union was for telephone operators because of unfair retribution, lack of stability, and the need for worker's rights. Additional comments are provided by a person identified as Opal.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Murphy conducted by Donald Sutherland on February 20, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Murphy discusses his life in Henderson, Nevada. Murphy describes the growth of the city and briefly talks about subjects such as atomic bomb testing, indoor heating, and his career in the U.S. Navy.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Robert List conducted by Claytee D. White on December 10, 2018, January 11, 2019, May 3, 2019, May 7, 2019, and June 12, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Robert List, former Governor of Nevada and Nevada Attorney General, recounts his early life and his summers spent on a family ranch in Northern Nevada. List details moving to Carson City in 1951, eventually practicing law, and recounts various experiences leading up to his political career. He elaborates on the events that happened during and after his term, including his involvement in an operation to clear the Mob out of many Las Vegas, Nevada hotels, such as the Tropicana, the Stardust, and the Riviera. List explains how his term helped Las Vegas move away from the influence of organized crime.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charlie Lombardo conducted by David G. Schwartz on June 28, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Lombardo discusses working with coin wrapping machines, the 1980 MGM Grand fire, and learning the operational and technical aspects of slot machines. Lombardo also speaks about what he believes makes both good and bad slot managers, slot floors, and new slot machines. He then describes some of the changes in slots and slot management over the years, including both the Megabucks and Pot of Gold slot jackpots.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lilly Fong conducted by Annie Yuk-Siu Shum on February 29, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Fong discusses receiving her education in both China and Arizona and later completing her Master’s degree in education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She describes how she held multiple careers, starting at the historic Fifth Street School as a third grade teacher in 1950 and continued to opening a Chinese restaurant called Fong’s Garden with her husband, Wing Fong. Then Fong describes her campaign for the Nevada State Board of Regents in 1974 where she would help develop the building of the University's Fine Arts Complex. The interview concludes with Fong’s thoughts on the Asian Studies program at UNLV.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lupe Avelar conducted by Marcela Rodriguez-Campo and Maribel Estrada Calderón for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Lupe Avelar describes her life growing up in Durango, Mexico on a family farm and her immigration to New Mexico as a teen with her brother before returning back to Mexico. Lupe talks about her marriage to Eladio Avelar and how the couple eventually moved to California as well as her circumstances of moving to Las Vegas. Subjects discussed include: cotton fields; cotton farming.
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Oral history interview with Renee Watson conducted by Claytee D. White on June 14, 2022 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Watson discusses her early life in Harbor City, California where she attended a private school. She discusses living and working in a great number of places, eventually arriving to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2018 as Associate Vice President for Campus Life. In this role, she managed eight departments and 131 employees, all charged with helping students navigate their academic careers while enjoying the college experience. At the time of the interview, Watson was about to move to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to serve as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Central Michigan University where she plans to know, understand, update, and apply policies equitably with transparency.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Keny Stewart conducted by Claytee D. White on January 16, 2010 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park neighborhood Oral History Project. Stewart discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1984 to work as an entertainer, and later his other careers as an elementary school teacher and as a library specialist. He also talks about buying a house in the John S. Park Neighborhood that was built in the 1940s and being a neighborhood association president.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ralph Denton conducted by K.J. Evans on January 10, 2000 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal First 100 Oral History Project. Denton first talks about his personal friendship with Governor Grant Sawyer, their education in law school, and his eventual work on campaigning for Sawyer after he became governor. Denton then speaks about working as Sawyer’s adviser. Toward the end of the interview, Denton describes his work on improving civil rights and some of the challenges that came with that.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lydia Berry conducted by Kathy Zeller on February 22, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. During this interview Berry discusses her experiences as a worker for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Berry discusses her progression from being a teacher in Kansas City, Missouri to moving to Los Angeles, California and then to Las Vegas, Nevada where she worked at Nellis Air Force Base and then eventually to the Fish and Wildlife Service. She also mentions some of the operations of the Wildlife Service as well as her concerns over animal life and natural resources.
Archival Collection