Oral history interview with H. Wayne Earl conducted by Diane Donavan on March 14, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Earl discusses his early recollections of Nevada and his life after moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1940. Earl also talks about World War II, McCarran Airport, Nellis Air Force Base, North Las Vegas politics, Jaycees, and the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Earl recalls his involvement in civic affairs, social and religious activities, including his affiliation with the Mormon Church.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bruce Eaton conducted by Jay Brewer on April 24, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Eaton discusses his employment as a laborer for Six Companies during the construction of the Hoover (Boulder) Dam and the racial conflicts that occurred. Eaton also talks about a federal investigation he was involved in that involved suspected espionage. Other topics that Eaton discusses include his enlistment in the United States Navy and his role as city manager of Boulder City.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Donald L. Eckert conducted by Robert A. Kamp on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview Donald Eckert discusses the geographical boundaries of Las Vegas when he was first born and the types of recreation people would take part in. He then talks about the Helldorado Parade, how the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has changed, the MGM Grand Hotel fire, horse racing, changes in gaming, the Basic Magnesium plant, and the development of Mount Charleston.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Elbert Edwards conducted by Layne Covington on October 16, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Edwards first talks about his family background before talking about what it was like to live in Panaca, Nevada. Edwards later talks about his wife’s and his political involvement, and his involvement in education. He then discusses Hoover (Boulder) Dam, his job as a registrar in the Selective Service, and the effects that the World War II years had on Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Eddie Hall Holzman conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on October 02, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Holzman begins the interview talking about his growth as a musician while living and performing in New Jersey and New York. He also discusses his time playing while enlisted in the military, until he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947 where he played in a jazz band. Holzman also describes working as a card dealer at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino, the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino, and the El Rancho Hotel and Casino. He also details the music scene in Las Vegas from the 1950s through the end of his playing career.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Timothy C. Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on April 14, 2011 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Williams discusses his personal history in Chicago, Illinois in the 1960s and eventually moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985. He describes his career in law and the increase of African American lawyers in Las Vegas by the end of the 1980s. Williams then talks about the founders and past presidents of the Las Vegas National Bar Association (LVNBA). Lastly, Williams recalls his involvement serving on a committee for the Las Vegas Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gerardo Topacio, Philomena Topacio, and Teresa Prezgay conducted by Claytee D. White on April 13, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gerardo discusses his early life in Manila, Philippines. He remembers the attacks in Pearl Harbor on December 07, 1941, the Japanese and Philippines conflict, and immigrating to the United States. Gerardo talks about his employment with Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Inc. (EG&G) and working at the Nevada Test Site. Philomena recalls her career in the hotel industry and being a member of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. The couple was joined by their daughter, Teresa Prezgay. Prezgay talks about her career as a math teacher and promotes the increase of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edwina and Johnnie E. Richardson Jr. conducted by Claytee D. White on September 29, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project.
Johnnie and Edwina Richardson share their story of meeting in Las Vegas, falling in love, and operating the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church originally established by Johnnie's father. The couple talk about their previous employment in the gaming industry before working full time with the church and their various responsibilities and outreach efforts within the community. Johnnie and Edwina also discuss Windsor Park and the circumstances of saving their home when houses in the neighborhood began sinking, as well as the impacts they saw on other families who weren't so lucky.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jacqueline Barker conducted by Claytee D. White on February 14, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Barker discusses her upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Westside. She talks about the importance of the church in the Westside and the significance of education in her family. Barker remembers her father’s involvement with school integration in Las Vegas, the sixth grade centers, and the racism she experienced while attending the University of Nevada, Reno during the 1970s. Later, Barker compares her experience in higher education to that of her mother’s, and the race riots in 1969. Lastly, Barker discusses the history of African Americans in unions, her career in education, and the social and psychological impacts that African Americans faced in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles Lee Hank III conducted by Claytee D. White and Barbara Tabach on April 10, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Charles Lee Hank III describes his experience with police growing up in Chicago and the dichotomy he feels now as a police officer for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LV Metro). Hank discusses the events of the October 1 shooting at the Route 91 Festival, the chaotic experience he and other officers experienced as they looked for the shooter in the Mandalay Bay, and the aftermath as a member of the Las Vegas community and as an officer of LV Metro.
Subjects discussed include: Las Vegas Strip Area Command.
Archival Collection