Oral history interview with Marcia Washington conducted by Claytee D. White on February 14, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview Marcia Washington discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada at age thirteen and only attending black only schools. She talks about fun times from her childhood, her family life after getting married in 1972, and becoming the first African American on the State Board of Education in 2000.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alberta Shearin conducted by Deanne Lahr on March 12, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Shearin discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada after her husband was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in 1943. Shearin describes Las Vegas during World War II and how it has changed, chemical plants in Henderson, Nevada and their effects on the environment, and what her and her family did for recreation. Shearin also discusses the local school system and racial integration in schools and neighborhoods, as well as natural disasters that have occurred in the city.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paulette Nelson conducted by Claytee White on March 2, 2009 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Nelson discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981 and working at the Nevada Test Site for two years. Nelson then talks about being offered a position in the cataloging department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries. Lastly, she talks about being supervisor of the Architecture Studies Library for nine years until her retirement in 2009.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Otto Merida conducted by Claytee White on May 18, 2017 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Merida discusses his childhood in Havana, Cuba and his arrival to the United States. Merida then discusses Cubans in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1960s and 1970s. He also reflects on starting the Latin Chamber of Commerce with Arturo Cambeiro in the late 1970s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ralph L. Canfield conducted by Mariann McDuffee on March 21, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Canfield discusses different housing developments in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Las Vegas Strip hotels and casinos, Lake Mead, Nevada’s environmental quality; prostitution, and atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lena Brass conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on January 17, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Brass discusses her upbringing in Winsboro, Louisiana and describes living during segregation. She recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1975 with her husband, her employment at Nevada State Bank, and participating in the Martin Luther King parade. Brass then talks about the advancement of banking technology, the utilization of computers, and her experience as an African American bank manager. Later, Brass talks of her mentors, her faith, and the economic downturn of Jackson Street businesses in the Westside. Lastly, Brass discusses the future of the African American community in Las Vegas, the Westside, and business networking with the church community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paul Richert conducted by Mark Ferrario on March 29, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Richert briefly describes his personal history in Las Vegas, Nevada, observing nuclear weapons tests, and meeting then-Senator John F. Kennedy while he was campaigning in Las Vegas for the U.S. presidency. Mainly, Richert discusses his career as a police chemist, and later his work helping to improve education in the Clark County School District as an assistant principal.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Earl Snyder conducted by Jeff McGilvray on an unknown date in 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Snyder discusses living in Southern Nevada since 1945. He discusses his employment at the Nevada Test Site and explains how the test site was beneficial for the Nevada economy. Snyder then describes the increase of pollution, population growth, and environmental and social changes in Las Vegas. Lastly, Snyder discusses labor unions and their significance in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Jane Heenan conducted by Dennis McBride on June 21 and 28, and August 30, 2005 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Heenan begins by clarifying the vocabulary used within the transgender and queer communities for self-identification, comparing these terms with terms used in the medical and psychological fields. They then discusses the distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation. Next, Heenan recalls growing up and in Chicago, Illinois, coming out in the 1990s, and undergoing sex reassignment surgery. Lastly, they talk about arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994, the Las Vegas transgender support and advocacy community, and Las Vegas transgender organizations.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Raymond Ellsworth Sutton conducted by Ronnie A. Peters on March 14, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sutton discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1941 and recalls the construction of the Basic Magnesium Plant and hundreds of homes built in Henderson, Nevada. Sutton then describes his work as an attorney, the Nevada education system, and recalls his experiences as a student at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Archival Collection