Oral history interview with Gloria E. Hernandez conducted by Nathalie Martinez, Maribel Estrada Calderon, and Rodrigo Vazquez on December 07, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Gloria E. Hernandez starts the interview by recalling her childhood and early years in Jalisco, Mexico. Hernandez relates her experiences during her immigration to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987. Hernandez discusses her career and her first job in the hospitality industry at the Frontier Hotel and Casino. Gloria shares her role in the longest labor strike in United States history while she was working at the Frontier. Gloria talks about her membership and involvement in the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, primarily talking about her role as a union organizer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Paris Oddo conducted by Claytee D. White on July 20, 2017 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Oddo discusses her early life in Detroit, Michigan. She recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1984, becoming an electrician, and being a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (I.B.E.W) Local Union 357. Oddo talks about completing a five-year apprenticeship program offered by the Union, and her experience as a female electrician. She remembers her employment at the Nevada Test Site, working closely with radioactive materials, and being diagnosed with illnesses due to radioactive exposure while at the Nevada Test Site. Lastly, Oddo expresses her concerns over nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with James Walker conducted by Larmaya Kilgore on November 14, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Walker discusses his personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s. He talks about his employment at the Fremont Hotel in 1966 and working on the Las Vegas Strip the following year. Walker recalls the African American experience working on casino floors, facing discrimination, and the process of integration in schools. He then describes the jobs given to African Americans at the casinos, being unable to live in certain areas of the city, and the increase of African American workers in construction. Lastly, Walker discusses his ownership of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino, casino licensing, and the increase of businesses in West Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Brittany Castrejon conducted by Claytee D. White and Barbara Tabach on November 9, 2017 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Brittany Castrejon details her experiences during the evening of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. She describes the Route 91 Harvest Festival set-up and details the events of that night, which she experienced alongside her 14-year-old cousin and a few friends. Castrejon tells her story of trying to find safety from the chaos during the entire ordeal, eventually finding refuge for the remainder of the night at the Tropicana hotel. She ends the interview by discussing her adjustment to life after the shooting and her post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as what she has learned from the experience.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Donna and Gail Andress conducted by Karen Schank on April 13, 2011 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Donna and Gail Andress talk about their early lives and how they each came to live in North Las Vegas (Donna moved with her family from Los Angeles and Gail with his family from Arizona). They discuss city life in the 1930s, places they spent their time as children, their education, and how they met in high school. Donna and Gail recall their marriage and early years as a married couple living apart while Gail served in the Navy as a turret gunner. The couple discuss businesses that operated in the area and shared stories of raising their children in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Shirley and Mackie Edmond, Althia Taylor, and Larry McCollum conducted by Claytee D. White on May 30, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project.
Shirley, Althia, Mackie, and Larry discuss their experiences growing up and living in Las Vegas, Nevada including their respective employment histories; Shirley and Althia worked in the postal service for over 30 years, Mackie worked at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, and Larry mentored children as a sports coach for the Clark County School District (CCSD). The narrators talked about businesses that thrived on the Westside and ended their discussion with how COVID-19 has impacted their families and daily lives.
Subjects discussed include: Stardust Hotel and Casino; Parks & Recreation; and Westside businesses
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marjorie Conner conducted by Christine Schaeffer on April 18, 2002 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Conner reflects upon her more than 30-year career in education, with the most of her career being an administrator with the Clark County School District during the 1980s and 1990s. She discusses challenges that she often faced as an elementary school administrator, and the challenge of opening new schools. She describes the differences between starting at an established school and establishing a new school, and how such experiences shaped her philosophy of education. She also reflects upon her time as assistant principal, principal, and regional superintendent, and discusses the different job responsibilities associated with each position.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William “Mike” Edwards conducted by Lisa Campbell and Anna Marie Crosby on August 01, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Edwards reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 1990s. He discusses training that he feels is the most important for a teaching career, and how his own training prepared him for his career in education. He describes his regular responsibilities as principal, and challenges that he faced as principal of Rancho High School during the 1960s and 1970s. He provides his perspective on contemporary educational issues such as curriculum development and student ethics, and discusses his own approach to school administration.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jacqueline Locks conducted by Jennifer Schulz on May 01, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Locks reflects upon her 32-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1970s to the 2000s. She discusses her upbringing, and how she knew since she was a child that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. She describes the process by which she became an elementary school teacher, and eventually principal. She discusses her approach to educational leadership, and offers suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing school administration. She also discusses the importance of working relationships between teachers and administrators, and mentorship programs to assist new teachers.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Beverly Minnear conducted by Regina Goings on April 15, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Minnear reflects upon her more than 30-year career with the Clark County School District (CCSD) as a speech therapist and school administrator from 1970 to the time of the interview in 2003. She describes the process by which she began working in special education, and eventually became principal at John F. Miller and Variety Elementary School. She discusses the responsibilities that she faced as principal, and how her school operations compared to different schools within CCSD. She discusses the importance of working relationships between teachers, administrators and parents, and how such relationships impacted the learning environment.
Archival Collection