Oral history interview with M. Jeri Rarick conducted by Richard J. Travers on March 06, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Rarick discusses moving to Boulder City, Nevada with her family in 1931. Rarick goes on to discuss settling in Las Vegas, Nevada as a young adult. Rarick discusses her experiences in Las Vegas including her various jobs, ranging from waitress to Union Pacific dispatcher.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Helen Cecil conducted by Susan Vogel on March 16, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Helen speaks about family life, education, employment and the growth and development of Las Vegas, Nevada. Helen talks about attending and working at Las Vegas High School. During the interview she also mentions the Boulder (Hoover) Dam, the Stewart Ranch, and the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dolly Kelepecz conducted by Claytee D. White on April 29, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Kelepecz discusses her career as a ballet dancer, a performer in a circus, and a showgirl and dancer in Las Vegas, Nevada, especially in the Lido at the Stardust Hotel and Casino. She also discusses her time as a model, a pilates instructor, and running the Opus Dance ensemble. Kelepecz then discusses teaching a class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Wes Davis conducted by Dennis McBride on July 13, 2008 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Davis discusses the AIDS epidemic in the United States in 1981 and the effect it had on the gay community. Davis then talks about Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) in 1984, Golden Rainbow in 1986, and the Nevada Aids Project in 1987, and describes their efforts to deal with the disease. Lastly, he describes the implementation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and explains why people were afraid to find out if they were positive for the disease.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Jack Cherry conducted by Lowell Christie on June 17, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cherry discusses environmental change in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cherry also recalls experiencing an atomic bomb test.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nina Lu conducted by Jennifer Sui on November 17, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Lu recalls her difficult immgration journey from China to Los Angeles, California, and later to Las Vegas, Nevada. She also discusses former jobs, starting her own business, and embracing her unique identity and cultural heritage.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ray Christian conducted by Russell Ellis on March 19, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Christian discusses race relations within schools, baseball teams, theatres, and Boy Scouts in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also talks about his custodial at the El Portal Theatre, the Las Vegas Westside neighborhood, and living through the Great Depression. Christian ends the interview discussing how white and black veterans helped improved race relations in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard E. Strahlem conducted by Jacqueline R. Hall on March 12, 1980 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Strahlem discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958 in search of job opportunities. Strahlem then describes the local businesses that he worked with and recalls the competitive nature of gambling. Strahlem later discusses the construction of McCarren International Airport and the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Helen D. Newman conducted by Keri Morgan on March 11, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Newman discusses her early life and why she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses changes in the city from housing developments to growth in education due to the construction of additional schools and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also discusses the construction of new hotels and resorts. Newman later describes the growth of the Girl Scouts in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dr. Linda K. Miller conducted by Claytee D. White on July 10, 2019 for Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Miller discusses her early life in Kansas City, Kansas and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002. She talks about Helen J. Stewart, the Old Mormon Fort, and the significance of that area. Later, Dr. Miller explains the importance of teaching local history to people in Las Vegas. Lastly, Dr. Miller discusses the process of writing a book about Helen J. Stewart.
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