Search Results
Transcript of interview with Dr. Harrie Fox Hess by Scot Siegel, February 26, 1979
Date
Archival Collection
Description
On February 26th, 1979, Scot Siegel interviewed his psychology professor, Dr. Harrie Hess (born March 1, 1929 in Hammond, Indiana) in his office at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Hess discusses his family’s reason for moving to Nevada and how he felt as a young adult moving to Las Vegas. The two go on to talk about Dr. Hess’ contributions to Nevada through his work as a psychologist, and briefly mentions the first law to be drafted on psychology certification in Nevada. Dr. Hess then describes the Wild Cat Lair as an important site of social recreation for early Las Vegas youth. The interview concludes with his memory of Boulder (Hoover) Dam and how he believes that workers from the Great Depression paved the way for industrial success in gambling due to their employment on the Dam.
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Transcript of interview with Andrew and Debbie Levy by Barbara Tabach, September 12, 2016
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Andrew (Drew) Levy was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where his family became prominent civic and real estate leaders. His grandfather was Harry Levy, a former Las Vegas City Commissioner, and his father Alvin Levy was a former councilman. Drew is always proud to say that he never left Las Vegas and of partnering with his father in the Levy Realty Company. While growing up, Drew it was easy for a teenager to enjoy the perks that could accompany his family?s civic persona?such as casino shows, events and meeting early Las Vegas casino executives like Moe Dalitz. After graduation from Clark High School, Drew attended Arizona State University. It was in Tempe that he met Debbie Cheek, his future wife. When Debbie arrived in Las Vegas, she enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she finished her degree and started her accounting practice. She ran her business for ten years before opening Art Starts Here, an art school. In the 1990s, Debbie?s passion for art led her to be involved in the creation of First Friday, a local monthly art festival. She also teaches a summer art camp for the Adelson Educational Campus. Drew and Debbie became deeply involved in the many Jewish congregations in Las Vegas. Blossoming first at Temple Beth Sholom where they were married in 1980, Debbie sat on the preschool board and oversaw the temple board, while Drew was the advisor for the youth group. The couple later joined Congregation Ner Tamid where Drew was congregation president from 1999 to 2000 and Debbie was board treasurer in 2001. Debbie includes stories of her conversion to Judaism and keeping kosher. In this interview, Drew and Debbie Levy reflect on changes they see in Las Vegas, from when Drew was a kid to the times they raised their own daughters, Sarah and Jenna, here. Looking at the larger picture of the city, they describe booms in the real estate market and growth in the artistic and cultural aspects of Las Vegas. They provide a perspective of the growth of the local Jewish community.
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Rodel Fuentes oral history interview: transcript
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Rodel Fuentes conducted by Tracy Fuentes on December 4, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Rodel Fuentes tells stories of his upbringing in Manila, Philippines, where he was raised in a shared family home amongst his parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles. He talks about his parents' immigration to the United States and how he later joined them in Los Angeles, California where he met and married his wife. Rodel Fuentes shares the couple's decision to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, his work at Dunn Edwards paint company, and how he became a licensed general contractor and real estate agent where he now owns his own company. Rodel Fuentes discusses his thoughts on Las Vegas' diversity, affordability, restaurants, and Asian community. He also talks about experiencing anti-Asian hate, worsened by misconceptions and discrimination that came from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Photographs of Desert Oasis sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Site address: 4445 Diamond Head Dr
Sign owner: Volunteers of America/HUD
Sign details: The Desert Oasis Apartments is on the south end of the strip, south of the Pit Stop. The low rise tan stone structure of the apartments sits just east of the strip separated by a small parking lot.
Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 3 Lighting 3
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: The Desert Oasis Apartments is on the south end of the strip, south of the Pit Stop. The low rise tan stone structure of the apartments sits just east of the strip separated by a small parking lot. Just outside the main entrance, extremely close to the building, facing north south, two brown, sculpted, steel legs, support an internally lit message center. The two legs look to be representative giant Tiki heads. In the space between the legs, and on the bottom edge of the message cabinet, a clear plastic box hold neon sculpted into the words "Vacancy" underneath the word "No." The cabinet is painted a rusted color and the face is fluted plastic with vinyl lettering. Two square posts rise out of the top of the cabinet, a short distance, before they support a larger double backed internally lit cabinet. A center pole resides between the two legs, rising into the center of the cabinet as well. The cabinet is crafted out of a polished gold metal. The face of the sign is a graphically treated surface. Desert Oasis is written in red cursive script across the top of the sign. A small graphically painted green palm tree, sits just to the right of the text. The middle of the board is occupied by large all capital text reading "Motel," in black text. Two black horizontal scrolls flank the text. A band of red runs horizontally across the bottom of the sign, with white painted text reading "Apartments."
Sign - type of display: Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics
Sign animation: none
Sign environment: The Desert Oasis is located between the Laughing Jackalope to the south and the Motel 8 establishment to the north. It stands very inconspicuous among the environment of the southern end of the strip, easily passed by the motorist or wandering pedestrian.
Sign - thematic influences: Even though the establishment fits into the genre of a roadside motel, the sign itself doesn't quite fit in to the motif. The building itself is reminiscent of standard architecture of the era and location, the sign itself has elements of a Polynesian flavor. The legs of the sign appear to be Tiki like figures, but the details are quite vague.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Pylon; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Graphics
Mixed Content
Transcript of interview with Randall "Randy" Walker by Stefani Evans, November 2, 2017
Date
Archival Collection
Description
In twenty-first-century, urban America, Randall "Randy" Walker is one of the few fathers who can say he raised his children in the same house in which he grew up. Walker did not inherit the house at 443 Republic Street, in Henderson. Instead, Walker bought the house from his parents after he graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah, worked with Exxon Oil Company in Houston, returned to Southern Nevada to work in his first government job as a budget analyst for Clark County, and sold the house he previously owned. He did not have to move his wife and children far-their previous home was at 442 Republic Street, directly across from his parents. In this oral history, Walker shares why his family came to Henderson in 1952, describes growing up in the small town of his youth, and tells what it was like to have his father as his high school Spanish teacher. He focuses on his career in government and how he applied his accountant mindset to the various positions he held with Clark County, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the City of Las Vegas, and McCarran Airport. Along the way he shares his experiences with large governmental building projects such as the first 911 Call Center, the Downtown Transportation Center, the Regional Justice Center, and at McCarran Airport, the D v Gates, Terminal 3, and the airport tunnel and connector roads. He explains how his work with these various projects brought him into interaction with such diverse fields as architecture, accounting, construction, design, infrastructure, public art, public safety and local, state, and national politics. Throughout, Walker displays the collegial and common-sense approach to government, leadership, and problem solving that grounds the decisions he makes and explains why Richard Bunker wanted him at Clark County, why Clark County leaders recruited him to be county manager (and why that did not happen), and why McCarran Airport was able to accommodate without interruption Southern Nevada's record-breaking growth in residential and tourist traffic, and why, even in his absence, McCarran was the first major airport allowed to reopen following the 2001 September Eleventh terror attacks.
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Film negative of Howard Anderson and the Desert Inn (Las Vegas), 1981
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Inverted black and white negative showing Howard Anderson standing in front of the Desert Inn, with a marquee announcing Annie the musical.
Site Name: Desert Inn
Address: 3045 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Image
Aerial photograph of the Dunes Hotel (Las Vegas), circa late 1950s
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Aerial view of the Dunes Hotel complex. Stamp on back of photo: "Ed Screeton, Photographer, Box 2418 Huntridge Station, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cameras Unlimited, 1850 So. Main St., Las Vegas, Nev."
Site Name: Dunes Hotel
Address: 3650 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV
Image
Photograph of the Desert Inn tower and swimming pool (Las Vegas), circa 1960s
Date
Archival Collection
Description
Two female guests in the swimming pool at the Desert Inn with the tower in the background.
Site Name: Desert Inn
Address: 3045 Las Vegas Boulevard South
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