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Transcript of interview with Dr. Harold Boyer by Claytee D. White, November 15, 2000

Date

2000-11-15

Description

Dr. Harold Boyer recalled with great clarity his childhood in Arkansas. Born in 1916 in Hartman, he attended a two-story school which went to eighth grade, fished in a nearby stream, and earned money from the age of six selling newspapers. He remembered that his father wore many hats, including that of town physician, president of the school board, and mayor. He also operated the movie theater and would drive around town announcing upcoming film features through a megaphone. Harold gave details of living through the Great Depression and completing his high school and college education. Dr. Boyer recited many details of his life in the Marine Corps as a medic, serving on active duty in the Pacific arena in WWII, going into medical practice in Oklahoma City and Enid, Oklahoma, and being called back to serve in Korea. In 1952, while checking out practices in several Southwest locations, he came to Las Vegas and interviewed with Dr. Carver Coffman. Harold painted a picture of Las Vegas in the sixties and described his practice and the many organizations in which he participated. He described how certain entities contributed significantly to the growth in the Vegas Valley, including the Convention Bureau, the Elks Club, Rotary Club, Shriners, the Mormon Church, the Mesquite Club, the university, and the gaming industry. He also gave a very positive view of the cultural activities that were/are available to the people of Las Vegas. Comments by Dr. Boyer on race relations recalled the sixties when integration in area schools, hotels, and neighborhoods became a reality under strong black leadership. He also talked about the relationship between casino operators and the civic organizations previously mentioned, and included an anecdote concerning one of his patients and A1 Capone. Helldorado, a unique community celebration, began in 1937 and was designed to draw positive attention to Las Vegas and pull people together. Dr. Boyer described the parades, dances, games, and barbecues that made it so much fun, and listed the founders who made it possible. This list includes people like the Von Tobels, Bob Squires, Bill Ferret, and the Ronzoni family. He related that Helldorado gradually faded out as corporations took over the gaming industry and the population grew to hundreds of thousands. Howard Hughes, the Greenbaums, and Bugsy Siegel are some of the people Dr. Boyer recalled as part of the fabulous tapestry that makes Las Vegas special. He talked about those who had a positive influence on the town, like Ed Von Tobel, Jess Abbott, and Jackie Gaughan. He has wonderful ideas for creating a park near the downtown area that would rival Central Park in New York, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, or Audubon Park in New Orleans. His closing comments reflect on special projects conducted by the Rotary Club and the future of Las Vegas as an international air travel transportation hub.

Text

Benilda Long Somes oral history interview

Identifier

OH-03830

Abstract

Oral history interview with Benilda Long Somes conducted by Vincent Long on November 29, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.

Benilda discusses her life in Magalang, Philippines and her immigration to Saipan, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, as a young woman. She talks about meeting her partner, airman Robert Long, the birth of their son, and Robert's untimely death in an air crash less than a year later. Benilda shares how she and her child immigrated to the United States to be with family and their move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2009.

Archival Collection

Miguel Villarba oral history interview

Identifier

OH-03843

Abstract

Oral history interview with Miguel Villarba conducted by David Islas on December 6, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.

In this interview, Miguel Villarba shares his family's history growing up in Manila, Philippines and immigrating to the United States in 2016. He talks about first living in Chattanooga, Tennessee before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to be near family when Miguel was in high school. Miguel Villarba shares stories of his grandfather's farm in Pangasinan, Philippines, the differences in city and town life across Manila, Chattanooga, and Las Vegas, and his educational plans. He also talks about Filipino culture and traditions, and racial discrimination.

Archival Collection

Carmen Benedict oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00185

Abstract

Oral history interview with Carmen Benedict conducted by Tammy M. Wallace on April 20, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Benedict discusses her upbringing and inspiration to be a teacher in California in the 1990s and 2000s. She reflects upon the process by which she went from being a student instructor to a teacher, and from a teacher to a principal. She discusses the philosophy that guided her throughout her career and influenced her interactions with students and educators, and challenges that she faced as an administrator. She also discusses her regular duties as principal, expectations that principals face, and her suggestions on how to be a successful principal.

Archival Collection

Susan B. Brand oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00239

Abstract

Oral history interview with Susan B. Brand conducted by Judith Kelly on November 20, 2004 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Brand discusses her upbringing in South Dakota, and her attendance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She discusses how she worked with the Clark County School District as a switchboard operator, teacher, human relations consultant, assistant principal at Rancho High School, and principal at multiple elementary schools. She discusses her personal philosophy of educational administration, her job duties as assistant principal and principal, and offers suggestions on how to be a successful principal. She also discusses her integration efforts that promoted diversity in the classroom.

Archival Collection

Patrice Johnson oral history interview

Identifier

OH-02955

Abstract

Oral history interview with Dr. Patrice Johnson conducted by Kiley Veigel on November 16, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Johnson reflects upon her more than 20-year career as a teacher and school administrator in California and in the Clark County School District. She discusses her upbringing and how she always wanted to be a teacher, her training to become a teacher, and experiences in teaching. She describes her path to becoming a school principal, and eventually assistant superintendent for the Clark County School District. She also discusses how her family life has shaped her approach to teaching, in addition to regular job duties that she faced as a teacher and administrator.

Archival Collection

Mark Coleman oral history interview

Identifier

OH-02950

Abstract

Oral history interview with Mark Coleman conducted by Margaret Grosbeck on April 24, 2007 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Coleman reflects on his career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1980s to the early 2000s. He discusses his upbringing and entry into education, and his motivations to move from being a teacher to becoming an administrator. He then describes challenges that he faced as a dean, assistant principal, and principal at various high schools. He emphasizes his concerns for school safety and his responsibility as an administrator to keep students safe, in addition to pressures that he faced to foster meaningful relationships with staff, students, and their families.

Archival Collection

Gretchen Braner oral history interview

Identifier

OH-02948

Abstract

Oral history interview with Gretchen Braner conducted by Stacey Skidmore on November 24, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Braner reflects back on her career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Braner discusses the process by which she trained to become a school administrator, which portions of the training were most beneficial, and the importance of life experiences in shaping her philosophy of education. She describes her regular job responsibilities, and explains the importance of balancing work priorities to avoid burnout. She also discusses the importance of fostering relationships with students and staff to make school administration meaningful.

Archival Collection

Teddie Lynn Brewer oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00247

Abstract

Oral history interview with Teddie Lynn Brewer conducted by Stanica Sretenovic on June 24, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Brewer reflects upon her 36-year career in education, with the bulk of those years being an administrator in the Clark County School District from 1985 to 2005. She discusses her teaching experience that led up to her pursuit of administration, and describes the regular duties that she faced as an elementary school principal. She also describes the importance of fostering relationships between teachers and administrators, and offers suggestions for how to foster such relationships.

Archival Collection

Bernadine Brunson oral history interview

Identifier

OH-00276

Abstract

Oral history interview with Bernadine Brunson conducted by Aaron Louis Koshan on March 02, 2006 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Brunson reflects upon her 33-year career within the Michigan public school system as a teacher and administrator. She describes how following retirement in Michigan, she decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon moving to Las Vegas, she became a principal with the Clark County School District, and also taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She discusses the differences between public school systems in Michigan and Nevada, and what she believes are the strengths and weaknesses of both.

Archival Collection