Search Results
Transcript of interview with Joseph Delaney by Carol Hunter, October 24, 1979
Date
1979-10-24
Archival Collection
Description
Carol Hunter interviewed columnist and former music consultant Joseph “Joe” Delaney (b. 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on October 24, 1979 about his experiences in the entertainment industry of Las Vegas, Nevada. The interview begins with Delaney’s recollection of how Las Vegas looked when he first moved to the city in 1961. Delaney mentions some of the businesses and hotels that were popular at the time, including the entertainers that performed at many of those hotels. He then describes the evolution of piano bars to lounge acts to showroom performances in the hotels, as well as the types of changes made for admission to those performances as corporations took control over Strip properties. Delaney also provides insight into the intricacies of the agreements between the properties and various entertainers for their residencies, and he mentions many of the particular entertainers of the time throughout the interview. Delaney additionally discusses his original experiences in talk
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Transcript of interview with Nancy Craddock by George Apfel, March 13, 1976
Date
1976-03-13
Archival Collection
Description
On March 13, 1976, George Apfel interviewed Nancy Craddock (born 1922 in Anaheim, California) at her home about her experiences of living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Craddock begins by discussing her move from San Diego to Nellis Air Force Base with her husband in the 1950s and their eventual move to the Twin Lakes area, at which they had their home built. She provides details about living in this area, such as the recreational activities of her children and the neighbors who lived on the same street, one of whom was a mayor of Las Vegas, Oran K. Gragson. Craddock, a medical laboratory technician, also talks briefly about her experiences while working at Sunrise Hospital, and she later describes how properties operated on the Las Vegas Strip in its early days. The interview concludes with Craddock’s knowledge on the early pioneers of Las Vegas, the formation of the university’s library, and the social conditions during the 1950s compared to those at the time of the interview.
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Transcript of interview with Robert Foster by Kelley Tuchman, March 2, 1978
Date
1978-03-02
Archival Collection
Description
On March 2, 1978, Kelley Tuchman interviewed Dr. Robert Foster (born 1921 in Colorado Springs, Colorado), principal of Helen J. Stewart School, about his experiences in educating and helping the mentally disabled. Foster first talks about his background in the military and his eventual teaching experience in special education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Foster then discusses his motivations for getting into the special education field and later talks about the growth of the program in Clark County and throughout the country. He also describes the role of legislation in helping the mentally disabled and later goes into detail about the approaches of the training and education program itself. Toward the end of the interview, Foster mentions a few of his personal experiences and discusses the importance of volunteering to help the mentally and physically disabled.
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Transcript of interview with Patricia Bryan by Stephen Kulifay, February 20, 1979
Date
1979-02-20
Archival Collection
Description
Stephen Kulifay interviews Patricia “Pat” Bryan (born in Alexandria, Minnesota on March 17, 1917) about her experiences living in Las Vegas. The two begin the interview by discussing her education at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Northwestern and her move to Las Vegas in 1947. Bryan also discusses her family’s involvement in the soda bottling business and eventual involvement in real estate. She goes on to describe a wide range of topics to include the first hotel properties, the entertainers at the time, the African American and Asian communities, the railroad, shopping, housing, brothels, banking, utilities, roadways, climate, and religion. The two also discuss the popularity of Las Vegas, with focus on tourists and gaming, the expansion and growth of the city, the cowboy attire worn in early days, the Helldorado parade, Nellis Air Force Base and government land, the beginning of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and her thoughts on the future of Las Vegas.
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Transcript of interview with Carey Burke by Terri Goodsell, March 12, 1981
Date
1981-03-12
Description
Terri Goodsell interviews Carey Burke (b. 1936 in Columbus, Ohio) about his experience living in Nevada. Burke talks about moving to and living in Henderson for a period of time before moving to Las Vegas. Burke mentions a few memorable teachers from his schooling as well as the recreational activities he took part in, such as going to Lake Mead and joining a YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) camp. After mentioning the small odd jobs as a newspaper deliverer and altar boy for the Catholic Church, Burke talks about moving to Las Vegas in 1949 and his eventual schooling at St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Rancho High School. The interview then moves to a discussion on the above-ground atomic testing, including Burke’s and his sister’s experiences with the tests, and he then describes the Helldorado customs and celebrations in earlier days. Burke later mentions some of the various prominent individuals in Las Vegas whom he met and with whom he went to school, including business own
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Transcript of interview with Pearl Busch by Laura Busch, February 20, 1978
Date
1978-03-20
Archival Collection
Description
On February 20, 1978, Laura Busch interviewed her mother, Pearl Busch (born 1936 in Winona, Minnesota) about her experience of living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pearl first describes her original move to Southern Nevada and discusses a wide range of topics including the first hotels on the Strip, the growth and expansion of the city, recreational activities such as skiing, and her family. She also talks about gambling and its impact on the city, the clubs and organizations to which she belonged, and her appreciation for the mild Las Vegas climate. The interview finalizes with her thoughts on the biggest excitement Las Vegas offers, her input on the high crime rate in Las Vegas, and her thoughts on the energy crisis and the future of solar energy in Las Vegas.
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Transcript of interview with Eddie E. Buxton by Bernard D. Vardiman, March 30, 1976
Date
1976-03-30
Archival Collection
Description
Bernard Vardiman interviews colleague Eddie Buxton (born 1938 in Las Vegas, Nevada), an officer with the North Las Vegas Police Department, about his family heritage and his experiences growing up in Las Vegas. Buxton describes the significance of some of his ancestors, from Rose Warren, who was one of the first Las Vegas pioneers, to Joe and Ernest May, two of the first police officers in Las Vegas. He specifically mentions the 1933 death of Ernest May, the first law enforcement officer in Las Vegas killed in the line of duty. Buxton also recalls the development of both Las Vegas and North Las Vegas over time, including specific locations and what used to be undeveloped land. He also describes going to school in the city, his father’s work on Hoover Dam, and other aspects about the way of life in Las Vegas.
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Transcript of interview with Frank Cuti by Hans Kohls, February 25, 1979
Date
1979-02-25
Archival Collection
Description
On February 25, 1979, Hans Kohls interviewed Frank Cuti (b. 1904 in Pittsburgh, PA) about his experiences in the gaming industry in Nevada. Cuti first describes his work as a dealer in properties such as the Frontier Club during the 1940s. He then describes how the Strip developed from that point, naming casinos such as the El Rancho, Club Bingo, and the Flamingo. Cuti also discusses topics such as the nature of competition between properties, the problems with cheaters, and the involvement of the mob. He additionally provides his opinions on the involvement of unions in casinos and how dealing in the casinos has changed over the years. In the latter part of the interview, Cuti describes working as a floor man, and he talks about Howard Hughes’s influence on the development of Las Vegas.
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Transcript of interview with Richard McCracken by Claytee D. White, September 30, 2014
Date
2014-09-30
Archival Collection
Description
As International Counsel to UNITE HERE, Culinary Workers Union Local 226, Richard McCracken is a true union man whose law firm represents labor. He is an independent thinker who prefers direct action rather than the strategies and negotiations of the National Labor Relations Board. This interview covers union activity in several locations throughout the country but concentrates on Nevada with stories about Las Vegas and Reno labor connections that are profound. Once which organizing in Reno after the murder of two organizers, Richard was given a spiked drink. An older, more seasoned organizer instructed him to eat a cigarette forcing him to cough up everything in his system. Very early in his career, Richard learned that direct action was better and the strategies and techniques of the National Labor Relations Board. The Culinary Workers Union’s fight with the Showboat was one of unusual direct action. The union interfered directly in a matter of with the casino’s shareholders. Union work takes courage. McCracken admires that courage in D. Taylor, Hattie Canty, Jim Arnold, and many other local union leaders. His life is also an example of that same courage, determination, and legal savvy.
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Transcript of interview with Mirna Preciado by Claytee D. White, September 11, 2014
Date
2014-09-11
Archival Collection
Description
In 1980, Mirna Preciado arrived from Tijuana, Mexico. She spoke no English but had always wanted to live in the United States. When her family decided to immigrate, she decided to reach for her American dream. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 made her dream a reality. Mirna’s husband wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom but the idea of working and buying her own bread tugged at her. She gave in to the pull of wanting more and became a waitress at the new Margarita’s Restaurant in the Frontier Hotel. Though she liked her work, she was bothered by the other workers with requests to join the union. They even followed her home and knocked on her front door. Finally, she listened. Soon, those harassers became her guardian angels. In 1991, she went out on the longest strike in Culinary Union history – 6 years, 4 months, and 10 days. Her leadership and organizing skills came to the fore and in 1999, she joined the ranks of Culinary Union management, first as an organizer, then trainer, director,
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