Oral history interview with Su Kim Chung conducted by Claytee White on March 11, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Su Kim Chung is the Public Services Department Head of University of Nevada, Las Vegas Lied Library's Special Collections and Archives. This interview was conducted in part for the 20th year celebration of Lied Library. Su Kim first talks about the construction of Lied Library and what makes it special compared to the previous library building on campus. She then discusses her personal history and education that led her to UNLV, where she has now worked for 22 years. Her work involves manuscript curation, panel discussions with Las Vegas entertainers, and oral history collection among other activities. She has also written a book, Las Vegas Then and Now, that talks of the city's rich entertainment history.
On February 28, 1979, collector Kenneth P. Young interviewed office manager and real estate broker, Mrs. Bunny Harris (born November 21st, 1920 in Snyder, Texas) in her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview offers an overview of the history of Las Vegas, including transportation, mining, farming, ranching, and housing. During the interview, Mrs. Bunny Harris discusses the Elks Club, Cashman Field, McCarran Airport, Howard Hughes and Nellis Air Force Base.
On February 26, 1979, Cynthia L. Reeves interviewed Jeanne P. Chretien (born 1923 in Marshalltown, Iowa) about her life in Southern Nevada. Chretien first talks about her move to Las Vegas and her beginning education, including how the educational system has changed over time. She also describes her first occupations, political activity, involvement in groups such as the Girl Scouts, and early recreational activities. The two later discuss Block 16, entertainment, the atomic testing, the effects of World War II, and flooding in Las Vegas. The latter part of the interview includes topics on Chretien’s religious activity, her enrollment into Nevada Southern University, and the changes in Las Vegas over time. The interview concludes with Chretien’s thoughts on rearing children in Las Vegas as well as how she believes the city will continue to grow in the future.
On March 21, 1977, Christopher Moran interviewed Alice Doolittle (born 1897 in Boston, Massachusetts) about her experiences while living in Nevada. Also present during the interview is Ruth Belding, Alice’s daughter. Doolittle first talks about her reasons for coming to Las Vegas and her eventual occupation as a dental assistant. She also talks about her family’s history of living on the Stewart Ranch and the ranch’s swimming pool that attracted many during the summers of Las Vegas. Doolittle also describes her move to Boulder City with her husband, the first theaters in Las Vegas, and the Union Pacific Railroad. At the end of the interview, the three discuss Helen Stewart, Harley Harmon, and the Doolittle Center, named after Doolittle’s late husband, Ferris Doolittle.