Oral history interview with Frank Mathews conducted by Pat Kohlman on December 07, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Mathews discusses his life as a teacher at J. D. Smith Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1953 to 1975. He discusses traveling through the city during its early stages of growth, employment, and home construction in various Las Vegas Valley locations including Lorenzi Park (currently known as Twin Lakes), Hyde Park, and North Las Vegas, Nevada.
Oral history interview with Bill Sheehan conducted by Claytee D. White on July 01, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Sheehan discusses growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving in the United States Marine Corps in the 1940s, becoming a certified public accountant, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1962. He then talks about starting his own accounting firm in 1971 and retiring in 1997.
Oral history interview with Arte Nathan conducted by Claytee D. White on December 11, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Nathan discusses working in human relations for Wynn Resorts and opening all of Steve Wynn's properties around the world starting with the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also discusses how the casino industry evolved to allow management and labor to work for the interests of both.
Oral history interview with Barbara Mowry conducted by Jon Sedlacek on February 16, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Mowry describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from California in 1949 to get a divorce, before remarrying and entering into the restaurant business with her new husband. Mowry discusses buying an established restaurant, the Villa Venice, with her husband, and the eventual fire that would destroy the restaurant in 1952. Mowry describes running the restaurant, the different kinds of recreation in Las Vegas during the 1950s, and how Las Vegas has changed since she moved there. Mowry also discusses the prejudice against African Americans in Las Vegas, and how her husband would have to let in African American performers such as Sammy Davis Jr. or Pearl Bailey through the back door of their restaurant.
Oral history interview with Nel Downing conducted by Scottie Rector in the 1970s for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Downing first talks about the first properties in the Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada area before talking about the forms of transportation available in Las Vegas. She also talks about her work with the Clark County Housing Authority, the development of Henderson, some of the early churches, and the beginnings of gambling in Henderson. She then discusses gambling, life in Nevada, the Helldorado parade, and inflation over time.
Oral history interview with Clay Lynch conducted by Linda M. Trust on June 28, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Lynch discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada from Illinois in July 1955, his education at the University of Pittsburgh, Nevada social welfare programs, and Las Vegas, Nevada casino showrooms. Lynch also briefly discusses his work as a United States Army engineer training officer, as well as a transportation engineering consultant and contractor for his company, Lynch Brothers.
Oral history interview with Harvey Diederich conducted by K.J. Evans on January 4, 1999 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal First 100 Oral History Project. Diederich first discusses his background and education in journalism and later discusses the relationship between the Las Vegas News Bureau and hotel/casino publicists. Diederich then discusses some of his specific projects, such as those dealing with celebrities. Diederich also mentions some of the individuals he has worked for and the various cities he has travelled to for work.
Oral history interview with Herb Tobman conducted by Deborah Fischer on March 13, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Herb Tobman talks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada while working for Standard Oil as a tire, battery and accessory salesman, then working for the Moulin Rouge as the general manager in 1955. He gives a description of the hotels on Las Vegas Boulevard and downtown. Tobman then discusses the types of gambling that were popular. He also talks about the accommodations, transportation, entertainment, and the economy.
Oral history interview with Junell Bowman conducted by Anna Huddleston on March 09, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Bowman begins by describing her early history as a singer in California, performing on the radio, different orchestras, and nightclubs before marrying her husband and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958. Bowman discusses becoming a sketch artist after managing an unsuccessful business, doing portraits and caricatures of people in the casinos, at conventions, and on the Las Vegas Strip. She talks about the celebrities and entertainers she met and did caricatures for while working at casinos like the Stardust and Riviera, and the amount of work that went into being a professional sketch artist.
Oral history interview with Karen Carmichael conducted by Stefani Evans on December 9, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
In this oral history Carmichael discusses the world of professional dancing in the 1970s through the 1990s. She discusses her start in the industry and a variety of Las Vegas shows she participated in including: the Union Plaza Can Can, the American Dream Festival, Dasin’ Dirdy, and Babes Ahoy. She also goes into great detail behind her vision for Skyline, her adagio act, and the many celebrities she encountered throughout her career.
Carmichael also discusses her second career in jewelry design, and her experiences working with art galleries on the Las Vegas strip. She details the experiences of starting off at traveling art festivals, working her way up to award winning designs, and the art of jewelry photography. She also discusses the process of researching and publishing history for her book. She ends the interview with a discussion of what it means to be an artist and role of creativity in her life and those around her. She also discusses the ways in which others such as Betty Francisco, Hedy Jo Star, Debbie Reynolds and Sammy Davis Jr. had shaped her life.