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 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 interviews with Barbara Agonia conducted by Suzanne Becker on September 17, 2007, September 25, 2007, and October 02, 2007 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Agonia's interviews begin with an overview of her early life, including her education and study abroad experiences in England during college. During the interview Agonia also discusses attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the 1950s for graduate school. Agonia talks about her community activism with Soroptimist International of Las Vegas, Friends of the Nevada Wildnerness, and Clark County Community College. Lastly, Agonia discusses advocacy initiatives for Great Basin National Park and rape crisis education.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Albert Datke conducted by Joe Toscano on Octocber 2, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. He discusses atomic testing, economic and environmental changes, and getting to shake hands with President Eisenhower when he visited Las Vegas, Nevada. A Mormon and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mr. Datke discussed having an active church and religious life, including serving as financial clerk and historian clerk for the church.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rejoyce Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on June 12, 1996 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Williams discusses coming to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and six children in 1960, working in several positions at hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, and participating in the Culinary Union strike in 1970.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert M. Tubb conducted by Robert B. Grzywacz on March 01, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Tubb discusses moving to Nevada in 1907. He describes his early life and his father's career on the railroad, as well as the time he spent living in Ash Meadows Spring, Nevada and Death Valley. Tubb also goes into detail about his education and the growth of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bernice Reid conducted by Brenda Sawyer on March 12, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Reid describes life in Nevada after moving there in 1926 and the challenges she and her ex-husband faced trying to breed chinchillas on their ranch on Mount Charleston. Reid also discusses the development of Las Vegas, Nevada, seeing President Hoover speak at the Hoover (Boulder) Dam, and the nuclear weapons tests.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Monica Gresser conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on September 20, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gresser discusses her upbringing in El Campo, Texas and her initial interests in architecture. She recalls attending Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, designing sustainable buildings, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001. Gresser talks about gentrification in the Las Vegas downtown area, low-income communities, and the environmental conditions in disadvantaged areas. Later, Gresser describes her focus on developing transitional housing for military veterans and unhoused individuals, hostile architecture, and the issue of poverty across the United States.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Arsya Respati conducted by Madison Chang on December 4, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) student Arsya Respati shares his childhood and upbringing in Jakarta, Indonesia and educational background. He discusses his studies at the international BINUS SCHOOL Simprug in Jakarta and his immigration to the United States with his younger brother to pursue the culinary arts at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV. Arsya Respati talks about his relationship with his parents and their daily communication, his "aunty" who has helped him adjust to American culture and homesickness, his Muslim faith and traditions, and his employment. He also shares his views on Indonesian politics and cultural diversity, and the diversity of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mei Yang conducted by Jourdin Wilson on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) professor and graduate coordinator Mei Yang talks about her family and childhood in Shanxi Province, southwestern China. She shares her educational background pursuing her bachelor's and master's degrees in China before immigrating to the United States to earn her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Dallas. Mei Yang talks about her move to Las Vegas, Nevada, her work and professorship at UNLV, and her thoughts on pursuing a STEM (science technology engineering math) career as a woman. She shares how she raises her daughters in the United States away from her husband overseas, the Chinese community within Las Vegas, and traditions she celebrates.
Archival Collection