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Photograph of an unidentified woman, circa late 1800s

Date

1870 to 1899

Description

Handwritten on back of photograph: "84 years old. For Mrs. Hurdic and after her for Mrs. S. B. Breese. Elouise Hunter Howel's [sic] Mother."

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Photograph of IWY Commissioner Gerridee Wheeler at Nevada Women's Conference in Las Vegas (Nev.), June 17, 1977

Date

1977-06-17

Description

Photograph of Gerridee Wheeler, the International Women's Year (IWY) commissioner, at the Nevada Women's Conference in 1977. Site Name: Las Vegas Convention Center

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Transcript of interview with Elizabeth "Betty" Krolak by Irene Rostine, September 26, 1995

Date

1996-09-26

Description

In 1962, Elizabeth “Betty” Krolak moved from the Midwest to Las Vegas with her husband and six children. Not only would the drier desert climate benefit her youngest daughter’s health due to asthma, but the family hoped the Las Vegas economy would be beneficial for their future. Prior to her arrival in Las Vegas, Betty worked briefly as a secretary for the New York Central Railroad before becoming a stay-at-home mom and active member of the PTA. Upon their arrival in Las Vegas, Betty’s husband enrolled in a real estate class, but was unable to complete the program. Betty, not wanting to waste the $80 they had spent on the class, decided to attend in his place. This decision led to life changing events for Betty and her family over the next four decades. After taking the real estate class and passing the test, Betty became a licensed Nevada real estate broker in October of 1963. She initially went to work for Pyramid Realty and, in 1964, she opened her own office, Clark County Realty. After her divorce in 1967, Betty was left with “six hungry children” to feed and no child support or health insurance. She recalls how the benefits of being in real estate really became apparent during this period of her life. While real estate required long hours seven days a week, it also afforded a single mother flexibility that other careers would not have offered. Likewise, a woman could make more money in real estate in the 1960s and 1970s than most other careers provided, which was particularly important for Betty who was committed to raising her children without public assistance. Betty’s oral history chronicles the growth of the Las Vegas Board of Realtors which has grown into what today is the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR). She recalls how, in the 1960s, meetings took place in bowling allies and the primary role of the GLVAR was to provide networking opportunities and represent the Code of Ethics for realtors. However, the Board was dominated by males, with the role of women members confined to planning social events and arranging for refreshments. In 1968, Betty and several other women realtors set out to change this by initially establishing a local Women’s Council within the Board. In the years following, Betty became the first women to be an Executive Board Member. Today, more than half the members of the Executive Board are women. Betty’s oral history also speaks to many changes within the real estate industry over the past four decades, some positive and some not so positive. She recounts the 1960s to the 1980s, when casino workers’ main source of income came from tips which were often unreported, creating challenges in getting casino workers qualified for home loans because they did not have the ability to document their source of income. Likewise, single women had a hard time qualifying for home loans because they only had one income and, in those days, it rarely was enough to qualify for a mortgage on their own. Also during this period, realtors primarily focused on the resale market because builders wanted to work directly with buyers, but changes in the real estate market eventually led builders to realize the benefits of allowing realtors to sell new houses, too. During her career, Betty also experienced the rise of real estate franchises, beginning with Century 21’s arrival in Nevada, the development of Multiple Listing Service (MLS), changes to educational requirements, approaches to settling disputes, and new approaches to ethics violations. Perhaps the biggest change Betty’s oral history speaks to is the personal approach to selling real estate that has been lost over time. In the early days, brokers sold houses right alongside the sales agents. Today, however, regulations have placed brokers in a position where their primary role is to manage sales people, not sell houses. Also, realtors used to interact with other realtors, title company personnel, and mortgage lenders before technology, such as fax machines and computers, came along. In the early days, documents were transferred in person allowing people in the industry to get to know one another through these personal interactions. Today, everything is done electronically and it is rare to actually know the person on the other end. Selling real estate has lost a lot of its personal touch, according to Betty. In addition to being the mother of six children and running one of the largest real estate offices in the area, Betty also found time to give back to the community through her volunteer work with the Salvation Army. She was instrumental in establishing Southern Nevada’s Angel Tree project, which provides Christmas presents to children who otherwise would not receive them. She was also appointed by Governor Michael O’Callahan to the State of Nevada’s Real Estate Commission, making her the first woman to serve on the Commission. Betty’s career in real estate allowed her to witness and implement many changes that still impact the industry today. When Betty began her career, Las Vegas’ population was just over 45 thousand. By the mid-1990s Green Valley, Spring Valley, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Sun City had been developed and the Valley’s population exceeded 1 million people. Betty Krolak’s career merged with the real estate boom as she helped find homes for those who wanted to make Las Vegas their home. She made sure the real estate industry’s growth included women, training mechanisms, and ethics which continue to benefit realtors, home buyers, and home sellers to this day.

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Photograph of conference leaders conferring over election results, Las Vegas (Nev.), June 19, 1977

Date

1977-06-19

Description

Nevada Women's Conference leaders conferring with Pat Little over election results. Left to right: Pat Little: Ida Crockett, Election Chairman; Jean Ford, Conference Chair; Gerridee Wheeler, International Women's Year Representative; and Frances Test, Parliamentarian. June 19, 1977.

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Dr. Linda K. Miller oral history interview: transcript

Date

2019-07-10

Description

Oral history interview with Dr. Linda K. Miller conducted by Claytee D. White on July 10, 2019 for Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Miller discusses her early life in Kansas City, Kansas and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002. She talks about Helen J. Stewart, the Old Mormon Fort, and the significance of that area. Later, Dr. Miller explains the importance of teaching local history to people in Las Vegas. Lastly, Dr. Miller discusses the process of writing a book about Helen J. Stewart.

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Photograph of a woman walking with a child, 1907

Date

1907

Description

Inscription on front reads "Mio" 1907
Caption: Mio 1907

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Photograph of Sam Young with others, Goodsprings (Nev.), early 1900s

Date

1900 to 1925

Description

Sam Young and company in a motor car.

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Photograph of Blanch Jackson, Tonopah (Nev.), 1905

Date

1905

Description

Photograph of Blanch Jackson, Tonopah (Nev.), 1905

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Photograph of students and teacher, Beatty (Nev.), early 1900s

Date

1900 to 1925

Description

Caption: Mrs. Polley, teacher

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Photograph of a group of men and women standing in doorway, 1900-1925

Date

1900 to 1925

Description

Photograph of a group of men and women standing in doorway, 1900-1925

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