World War II Naval officer, outdoors man, viola player John Watkins arrived in Las Vegas in 1955 fresh from his fellowship at UCLA, as the town’s first urologist. In this interview made two years before his 2011 death, Watkins talks about his schooling, his medical career, and medicine and medical practitioners in Las Vegas from the mid-1950s. He recalls how he met his wife, Frances (née) O’Rourke, and the Las Vegas places he, Frances, and their sons John and Brian lived. In particular, he describes their Desert Inn Country Club neighbors and neighborhood, where he and his family lived for fourteen years near the third tee. Watkins talks about his musical education and playing the viola in Antonio Morelli’s Christmas concerts. He also shares his experiences as a mountain climber who climbed Mount Charleston several times before deciding in his seventies to climb the highest peak in each of the fifty states. By the time of this interview, he and his son Brian had conquered forty-three state peaks. According to his obituary, he completed one more climb before he died at ninety years of age, for a total of forty-four highest state peaks. In an Appendix, Watkins shares his detailed wartime journal covering nine “terrible days” on a U.S. Naval ship in an undisclosed battle zone in the Pacific Theatre, 28 December 1944 – 6 January 1945.

Dozens and dozens of people sit and watch the swan-shaped float from the Sahara hotel drive during the Helldorado parade. The float is in front of the Western Gambling Hall. The float is driving down Fremont Street in 1948 or 1949. Site Name: Westerner Gambling Hall and Saloon (Las Vegas, Nev.) Street Address: 23 Fremont Street

Crowds of people sit and watch as the women in costume pose and wave on an unidentified float in the Helldorado Parade on Fremont Street. This photo was taken in either 1948 or 1949. The float passes in front of The Pioneer Club and The Westerner Gambling Hall. Site Name: Westerner Gambling Hall and Saloon (Las Vegas, Nev.) Street Address: 23 Fremont Street