Oral history interview with Frank Schreck conducted by Claytee D. White on April 10, 2007 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Frank Schreck discusses his upbringing in Henderson, Nevada in the 1940s, his education at Yale University and University of California Berkeley School of Law in the 1960s, and his return to Las Vegas, Nevada after graduation. Schreck shares stories of growing up conservative and becoming more liberal after attending college, including attending antiwar demonstrations. He talks about helping locals with welfare rights, standing up to housing discrimination against people of color, and his experiences working pro bono cases within the Las Vegas community. Schreck recalls the influence Mike O'Callaghan had on his life, both as an educator encouraging Schreck to become a lawyer and later as a mentor appointing him to the Nevada Gaming Commission. Finally, Schreck talks about his professional career as a corporate gaming lawyer and activism efforts within Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Claude, Buddy, and Skip Trenier conducted by Betty Rosenthal on March 10, 1978 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, Claude, Buddy, and Skip Trenier, members of the musical group "The Treniers", discuss their experiences performing on the Las Vegas Strip as Black men. They share their group's history playing music at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino and other establishments in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning in 1948. Their discussion covers not only their performing careers but also their experiences with desegregation, racism, and discrimination in the city of Las Vegas.
Claude, Buddy, and Skip Trenier share their accounts of both being a popular act in Las Vegas, requested by out-of-towners from New York and Chicago, and also how they were nearly fired for refusing to play music when noticing customers of color being treated unfairly at their shows. The trio talk about how they could not enter casinos from the front entrance, how most casinos did not formally desegregate until after 1960, and how there were very few Black entertainers, musicians, or dancers during the mid-20th century with a few notable exceptions including Sammy Davis Jr.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert W. Maichle conducted by Jeff van Ee on April 17, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
In this interview, Robert Maichle shares details of his childhood growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, the openness of the valley before major city development, and the animals and flora that inhabited the region. He talks briefly about his education at Nevada Southern University (now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) in the early 1960s and his accolades and environmental engagements in Las Vegas serving the Resource Advisory Council to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Southern Nevada Conservation Council, and the Nevada Wildlife Federation, among other organizations. Maichle discusses how he helped draft the first map outlining public lands for sale, his involvement in establishing wilderness protection for Las Vegas lands, and his work to keep the MX Missile System out of the state of Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nanyu Tomiyasu conducted by Suzanne Yamazaki in November 2000 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, Nanyu Tomiyasu discusses his life in Las Vegas, Nevada as a landscape contractor, his Japanese heritage, and the lives of his parents Yonema and Toyono. Tomiyasu talks about his father's farming expertise, techniques, experimentation, and his reputation within the Las Vegas community. Yonema Tomiyasu's crop timetables have been shared with other farmers in both Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada to improve yields and combat the harsh weather conditions and alkaline water of the area. Tomiyasu recalls working on his father's farm and how his childhood was shaped by this work.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with David London conducted by Joyce Moore on March 10, 1998, March 18, 1998, and March 24, 1998 for the Arnold Shaw Oral History Project in Las Vegas Entertainers. In these interviews, London discusses his early life and career as a singer. He remembers working at the Riviera Hotel, singing on a cruise line, and deciding to change his last name. Later, London talks about entertainment in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1960s.
Archival Collection
The Hollywood Gambling Movie Poster Collection (1934-1997) contains film posters, lobby cards, and photographic prints that feature gambling, casinos, or Las Vegas, Nevada. The posters were collected by Steve Lott, CEO of the Boxing Hall of Fame, and include four different sizes including one-sheet posters, three-sheet posters, lobby cards, and 8" x 10" film stills. The majority of the posters feature films produced from the 1940s to the 1960s including
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nittaya Parawong conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on March 17, 2022 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Nittaya Parawong discusses her upbringing in Northeastern Thailand, her parents' restaurant and family recipes, and her business education in Bangkok, Thailand as a teenager. Wanting more than a corporate lifestyle, Parawong decided to immigrate to the United States, briefly living in Orlando, Florida before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She recalls bussing tables at a local Thai restaurant and attending English classes at College of Southern Nevada (CSN) before opening her own restaurant, Jasmine Thai Gourmet, at the age of 25. Now, Parawong is the owner of Nittaya's Secret Kitchen, Nittaya's Little Kitchen, and Block9 Thai Street Eats in Las Vegas. She shares memories and traditions of Thai celebrations, her views on Buddhism, personal cooking philosophy, and restaurant offerings.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Juliana Chen conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on March 21, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Juliana Chen shares her upbringing in Hunan, China and her experiences as a teenager training to become a professional ballet dancer. She discusses her rigorous training and troupe career that ended when Chen sustained a knee injury. With a desire to try something new while still being able to perform, Chen immigrated to Vancouver, Canada and began practicing magic. Chen shares that although she didn't know anyone or speak English, she practiced her craft and broadened her knowledge by joining professional organizations including the International Brotherhood of Magicians. After winning several magic competitions, Chen performed on the Las Vegas Strip at Caesar's Palace and the Riviera Hotel and Casino. She shares her current professional pursuits, her connection to the Las Vegas magician community, and her thoughts on Chinese culture and cuisine.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with September Sarno conducted by David Schwartz on October 06, 2007 for the Remembering Jay Sarno Oral History Project. In this interview, Sarno discusses her early life and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of five. She remembers living at her father’s hotels growing up, the lifestyle she was born into, and the final months before the passing of Jay Sarno. Lastly, Sarno talks about the impact that her father has had in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frances Faye on December 30, 1974 with an unknown interviewer for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, Frances Faye shares memories of performing as a cabaret singer in the 1930s. She talks about her entertaining career at several clubs in New York and various other locations including the Yacht Club, the Hickory House, Club Calet, and other venues. Faye recalls songs she wrote and performances across the United States including those in Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; and various locations within California. Faye reminisces with the interviewer about people they know in show business and briefly recounts a hip injury she sustained at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, causing her to stop performing for over nine years.
Archival Collection