Roberta “Bobbie” Kane (1932 - ) is the first known Jewish child born in Las Vegas. Her parents, Sallie and Mike Gordon, were liquor stores owners and among the founders of the first Jewish congregation in Las Vegas. Bobbie’s childhood remembrances are as a young girl who was fully aware that “Friday nights were reserved for religious services. Saturdays were always reserved for gin rummy.” In the late 1940s, as a teenager at Las Vegas High School (and 1950 graduate), Bobbie recalls Las Vegas as a small town and a joyful place to grow up. She briefly attended University of Southern California before marrying and beginning her family. In time, life brought her back to live with her parents. She pursued a career working for the Desert Inn group of hotels and helped open the Stardust in 1957. She was mentored by Mark Swain, “a six foot-four hunk of a cowboy” who worked for Moe Dalitz. This experience included driving Mark’s pink Cadillac to pick up hotel guests. This provided her with a

On March 5, 1981, collector Kathy Ricks interviewed Mary Carol Melton (b. April 4th, 1900 in Rockville, Missouri) about her life in Nevada and the development of the United Methodist Church in Las Vegas. Melton speaks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada because of her husband’s health, her time working with attorney offices and in the Las Vegas Courthouse, and the different homes in which her family lived. Moreover, Melton talks extensively about starting the first Sunday school in North Las Vegas in a garage as well as the church she and her husband built. Melton discusses the programs and minstrels performed in the church, the crafts sold to make money for the church and the organ they purchased. Lastly, Melton talks about going to the Hoover Dam nearly every week to see new developments, her participation in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and watching the above ground atomic tests.

In this interview, Goldman discusses the impact of strategies for addressing segregation in schools, including desegregation lawsuits, as well as anti-Semitism within the district. He also talks about his push, as region superintendent, for K through 8th grade configurations in schools as well as his opening of West Preparatory Institute, a K-12 school in Westside. Goldman discusses the politics of school naming and goes through the various community members who have schools named after them. In addition, he reflects upon how his job as a Clark County School District central office administrator has morphed over the years, and the different issues that demand his time over the years.

Edward ?Ed? Goldman was born in Rochester, New York in 1951, and spent his childhood in Jerusalem, Israel as well as Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his first bachelor?s degree in political science from Columbia University and a second in Jewish Studies from the University of Judaism. Goldman later received a master?s degree in political science from California State University, and then a doctorate in education and higher administration from UNLV, focusing on educational law. Goldman first moved to Las Vegas while on a leave of absence from his job in Los Angeles to finish his Ph.D. dissertation, working as a math teacher for the Clark County School District. However, it was not until 1981 that Goldman took a full-time position with the district, and moved with his wife, Susan, to the city. After the move, his first job was at Von Tobel Junior High School. Three years later he served as dean at Woodbury Junior High School. From 1989 until 2000, Goldman led recruitment for the school district, and subsequently, he became the Southeast Regent Superintendent. He then was asked to create a new division, Educational Services, which he oversaw for five years. He then took a break from central office administration, returning to the school environment, until he was asked to come back to his previous job as Associate Superintendent for Employee Management Relations.

Shawn Willis (1972 - ) grew up in a culturally diverse area outside of Detroit, Michigan. She has made Las Vegas her home since 2004. Since moving to Nevada, she ?acknowledged? her Judaism and built a robust network within the Jewish community as an entrepreneur and tireless leader. From 2015 ? 2017, she held the position of Director of the Jewish National Fund of Las Vegas. The Jewish National Fund is a worldwide organization that was founded in 1901 to meet the strategic challenges of building in Israel and developing the infrastructure for ecology, special needs and heritage preservation. Among the local initiatives that Shawn led was a program on water conservation. In this oral history, Shawn candidly speaks of being a convert to Judaism. She also shares how she introduced herself into the Las Vegas community in a vibrant way through her marketing expertise and business. Shawn currently serves on the UNLV Foundation?s President?s Associates Council and is an active person in the Las Vegas community. Shawn is a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy.

Meeting minutes include reports from committees of the board, correspondence, and balance sheets.