Oral history interviews with Joan Driscoll conducted by Kay Long on April 10, 1997 and April 17, 1997 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Driscoll talks about her experiences as a juror on a federal grand jury that investigated organized crime in Nevada. Driscoll also briefly discusses her family history, her family's origins in Iowa, and her experiences moving to the West.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Helen Naugle conducted by Irene Rostine on October 31, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Naugle opens her interview by discussing moving to Las Vegas, Nevada after she visited the city on a family vacation. She then talks about attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in order to obtain her real estate license. Naugle describes opening her own real estate office, the types of properties she brokered, and her participation in the Las Vegas Board of Realtors. She ends her interview by discussing her international business work and vacations.
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Oral history interview with Lawrence Weekly conducted by Elsha Harris Yolanda on November 19, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Weekly discusses his personal history and growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about the importance of religion in his upbringing and his parent’s employment in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas. Weekly describes the racial discrimination he experienced in education, attending the College of Southern Nevada and later transferring to Grambling State University in Louisiana. Later, Weekly discusses his rationale for attending a historically Black college, his career as a Clark County Commissioner, and the reopening of F Street. Lastly, Weekly talks about the lack of progress in race relations across the United States.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Donna Rodriguez conducted by Justin Burrows on November 24, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Rodriguez discusses her personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993. She describes her first impressions of the city, her employment at McCarran International Airport, and working as a security dispatcher for casinos. Rodriguez then talks about the development of security surveillance at casinos, discrimination towards African American gamblers, and recalls the training she received. Later, Rodriguez discusses her church involvement, teaching at her church's Sunday school, and shares how she managed to raise her children on her own. Lastly, she talks about the role that politics had on minority communities, the importance of education, and changes in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Ida Perkins conducted by Alexa Sweeny on November 25, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Perkins discusses her personal history growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Perkins talks about recreational activities she participated in, being involved in church, and living in the Windsor Park housing area in North Las Vegas. She then recalls her educational experience in Las Vegas, being involved in school sports, and West Las Vegas housing. Later, Perkins describes businesses on the Westside, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and playing on the women’s basketball team, the Lady Rebels. Lastly, Perkins discusses her contributions in forming the Foxy Ladies Organization, and also changes in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Ronnie Bank conducted by Lael Byrd on November 30, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Bank discusses his personal history and growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his employment at the Las Vegas Hilton (currently Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino) and Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Bank then describes nightlife and entertainment on the Strip in the 1980s, discrimination at night clubs, and West Las Vegas entertainment. He goes on to describe the riots following Rodney King’s death, the challenges with interracial relationships, and why families began moving away from the Westside. Lastly, Bank discusses working as a disc jockey (DJ) in Las Vegas, African American radio stations, and the development of the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dorothy, Alice, and Marva Love conducted by Claytee D. White on February 11, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Dorothy discusses her personal history and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1961. She describes the city at the time, living in West Las Vegas, and raising her children there. Alice and Marva, Dorothy's daughters, then talk about their educational experiences in Las Vegas and growing up in the Westside community. Later, Dorothy describes starting her family business, Love’s Cocktail Lounge, on Jackson Street and what it provided for the Westside community. The family recall the entertainers that performed at Love's Cocktail Lounge and the eventual downfall of Jackson Street. Lastly, they discuss the development and changes in the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Louis Conner conducted by John Grygo on March 22, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Conner discusses his personal history and growing up in Tallulah, Louisiana. He talks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with his family for job opportunities in the late 1950s. Conner describes his employment at the Stardust Hotel, segregation, and living in West Las Vegas. He then talks about integration in the mid-1960s, Jackson Street entertainment, and the changing demographic of the Westside. Lastly, Conner discusses the development of Las Vegas, families moving out of the Westside, and new businesses in the area.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mauricia Baca conducted by Elsa Lopez on December 16, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Baca discusses her upbringing in New York City, New York where she was raised by a Jewish mother and Mexican immigrant father. She goes on to describe the discrimination she faced as a Latina, and her education at Vassar College and the City University of New York Law School. Baca moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006, and she talks about her work as the Executive Director of Get Outdoors Nevada and how she promotes public access and use of urban outdoor spaces, such as the Healing Garden in the Las Vegas Arts District.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Irma Varela conducted by Barbara Tabach on December 04, 2018 and March 05, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In these interviews, Varela talks about her upbringing in Zacatecas, Mexico, her move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1989, and how religion has affected her life. She also describes her work as the Cultural Program Supervisor at Winchester Community Center, and her career in preserving Hispanic cultural traditions in Las Vegas. Varela talks about being an active leader in local Las Vegas organizations and events such as the Mexico Vivo Dancing Company, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, and the International Food and Folklife Festival.
Archival Collection