Oral history interview with Hal Erickson conducted by Alice Brown on April 01, 1998 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Erickson discusses starting work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas libraries in 1965 and his first impressions of the library. Erickson discusses the organizational and catalog systems of the library and his efforts to improve library organization.
Oral history interview with Billy Root conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on May 14, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Root begins by discussing his upbringing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he developed an early interest in being a musician due to encouragement from his father, who was also a musician. He describes playing baritone saxophone in the Philadelphia Orchestra, performing at the Apollo Theater in Ella Fitzgerald's orchestra, and going on tour with a predominantly African American jazz band in the Southern United States during segregation. Root details his interactions and impressions of various celebrities, such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, attending Playboy parties, and eventually deciding to settle in Las Vegas, Nevada. He discusses working as a professional musician in Las Vegas, where he performed in such casinos as the Dunes and the Desert Inn. He concludes by discussing his retirement and his family.
Oral history interview with Ida Webb conducted by Claytee D. White on February 29, 1996 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Webb discusses her childhood in the American South. She discusses her family's move from Tallulah, Louisiana to McNary, Arizona, and then their migration to Las Vegas, Nevada. Webb shares her experiences as a young African American mother in Las Vegas in the 1940s and the things her and her husband did to provide for their family. She shares her views on her marriage and her views on African American culture of the time. Webb discusses her husband's civic involvement and his job at the Las Vegas Sun. She details her experiences working in the hospitality industry for such early casinos as the El Rancho Hotel & Casino, The Flamingo Hotel & Casino, and the Last Frontier Hotel & Casino. She shares her own civic involvements and her participation in the Culinary Workers Union Local 226.
The Erle A. Taylor Collection on Aviation (1940-1976) is comprised of materials collected by Erle A. Taylor, former director of aviation for Clark County, Nevada, relating to airports and aviation. It includes many slides of McCarran Airport and airshows held at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other materials include publications on airports and aircraft, information on the dedication of the Riverside, California airport, and promotional materials for the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
The Allied Arts Council of Southern Nevada (AACSN) Records are comprised of the organizational records of the Allied Arts Council, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based non-profit organization that promoted the arts and cultural life in Southern Nevada from 1971 to 1999. Materials include meeting minutes, financial records, correspondence, membership information, publications, event information, project files, photographs, audio cassettes, VHS, and U-Matic tapes.
The Edwin Silberstang Papers (1963-2007) contain rough draft manuscripts, publicity, outlines, and galley notes for a number of the books that were authored by Silberstang. Also included are publisher agreements and correspondence, photographs of Silberstang, book covers, and newspaper clippings. Many of the books that Silberstang wrote were about gaming.
The Spencer and Georgia Butterfield Papers (1890s-1978) consist primarily of photographs and scrapbooks pertaining to Spencer and Georgia Butterfield, a prominent Las Vegas, Nevada couple involved in local business and civic activities. The collection also includes newspaper clippings of their social activities, correspondence, and assorted personal memorabilia.
The Ainsworth Collection of Las Vegas, Nevada Memorabilia (1942-1965) consists of fliers, programs, and receipts from Las Vegas, Nevada events and gatherings. The material pertains to the Helldorado, Boulder Roundup, and Little Britches rodeos as well as local plays and musicals. Also of interest, the collection contains a 1942 World War II ration book.
The Albert S. Henderson Papers (1879-1962), document his career and service as a district judge in Las Vegas, Nevada. Included are correspondence, a personal statement from his election campaign, certificates and proclamations, his memorial book, numerous newspaper clippings, an 1879 edition of Eureka and Its Resources, and various ephemera: union cards, name tags, and election cards.
The Wengert Family Papers (approximately 1900-2000) consist of scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, correspondence, postcards, photographs, and other documents from members of the Wengert family. The Wengert family were members of the Las Vegas, Nevada community since 1907. The collection contains items detailing Lottie Ward Wengert’s life in Iowa before she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, such as high school and college documents and diplomas, as well as programs and invitations for events in Iowa, Las Vegas, and other cities. The materials regarding Cyril S. Wengert are mostly newspaper clippings about his accomplishments and articles and cards expressing sympathy after his death. Other items include documents from the U-Wah-Un Study Club, of which Shirley Wengert was a member.