HENRY SHEPHERD MOVED FROM A LIFE OF SHARECROPPING ON A PLANTATION IN TALLULAH, LOUISIANA, WHERE THE PRIMARY CROPS WERE PEANUTS AND CORN. HE FOUND THE WORK IN LAS VEGAS REFRESHINGLY DIFFERENT AND LESS TAXING. HE WORKED AS A BARTENDER AT THE SANDS HOTEL, “THE PLACE TO BE.” HENRY WAS ABLE TO SEND HIS DAUGHTER TO COLLEGE. DURING THE PERIOD OF THIS 2014 INTERVIEW, SHE WAS WORKING ON HER DOCTORATE. THIS ONE GENERATIONAL ADVANCEMENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CULINARY WORKERS UNION LOCAL 226. HIS VERY FIRST COCKTAIL PREPARED FOR A CUSTOMER WAS QUITE MEMORABLE. AFTER TRAINING WITH FREDDIE SALATTO, FREDDIE SAID, “HEY, WE WANT YOU TO WAIT ON THAT BLACK LADY,” I’M LIKE, “WHO IS SHE?” HE SAID, “LENA HORNE.” “I MIXED A MARTINI FOR HER.” THE CULINARY UNION GAVE HIM FLEXIBILITY. LEAVING THE SANDS, HENRY WENT TO THE LANDMARK, AND THEN CIRCUS CIRCUS. THE LUXOR WAS HIS FINAL STOP IN A CAREER THAT SPANNED OVER THREE DECADES. THIS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT TO FIND BETTER AND BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE CULINARY UNION SERVICED ALL THOSE LOCATIONS. LIFE IS GOOD.

Photographs of early Las Vegas.

On February 28, 1978, Craig Brenner interviewed Ron Donoho (b. 1929 in Amboy, IL) about some historical aspects on the history of Southern Nevada law enforcement. The first portion of the interview involves a discussion of the history of sheriffs in the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and eventually the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Donoho mentions various sheriffs, including Charles Corkhill, who was sheriff when Clark County formed in 1909, as well as Sam Gay, Joe Keate, Gene Ward, Glen Jones, “Butch” Leypoldt, and then-sheriff Ralph Lamb. Donoho spoke somewhat about the performance of some of these sheriffs as well as the political factors involved during their leadership. The latter part of the interview includes a list of fallen officers who were killed in the line of duty in Southern Nevada, dating back to Ernest May’s death in 1933. Donoho, who researched much of the material of the interview, also spoke several times about his personal familiarity and acquaintance with some of the law enforcement officials mentioned.

Roger Bryan (born 1938 in Cedar City, Utah) is interviewed by Paul Murphy in his office about his experiences living in Las Vegas. Bryan, who was the principal of Harvey Dondero Elementary School at the time of the interview, mainly discusses his background in education and his experiences teaching at various schools around Southern Nevada. Bryan mentions several of the cities he lived in prior to coming to Las Vegas as well as the various parts of town he lived in after arriving. He also talks specifically about the schools he attended in Las Vegas, the superintendents in charge of the school district, the decisions he made while on the school board, some of his experiences in being a teacher and principal, the extent of vandalism in schools, and how the school district has changed over the years. Bryan additionally recalls the visits of political figures to Las Vegas, some of the developmental changes in Las Vegas over time, the role of the Mormon religion in his life, and the types of recreational activities he and his family took part in. Bryan finalizes the interview with a discussion of the most influential teachers he had when he was a student.

Foxhunting may be the Sport of Kings but was also found among the elite in Michigan. In the early 1960s when Jeanne Williams married Ed Wilson, son of Charles Wilson, President of General Motors, she learned the art of riding to the hounds. She left that life for Las Vegas in 1965. During the heyday of Las Vegas, Williams reared her daughter, Christine, on the Desert Inn Country Club working as an artist and sculptor. The Summa Corporation’s job as Women’s Events Coordinator wooed her. She kept the wives of golfers busy with luncheons featuring speakers like Ann Landers and David Frost. These women were also treated to fabulous gifts including designer purses. But soon Williams was swept off her feet by Jack Kent Cooke, one-time owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. She moved with him to Virginia where her art suffered. Jeanne’s return to Las Vegas allowed her artistic canvas to expand with commissions from the town’s movers and shakers. This time, home was the Sahara Country Club and then in 1994, the Canyon Gate Country Club. Those homes gave her space for her art. Her artistry and skill as a sculptor were keenly honed during this period as she joined the prestigious Desert Sculptors Association and the illustrious Las Vegas Watercolor Society. Actress, singer, dancer, painter, sculptor Jeanne Maxwell Williams helped to start the arts movement in Las Vegas.

Arte Nathan is trained in Human Resources. He evolved the thinking in the casino industry to allow management and labor to work for the best interests of both. Educated at Cornell University, he worked with Jim Wilhelm of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 to develop an unusually profitable relationship that served the casino owner and the people who maintained the cleanliness of the property. “Look, before I got here it was Al Bramlet. I mean the strike of '84 is something that's indelibly etched in all of our minds. The strike in '86 in Atlantic City was much the same. But that type of contentious labor relations is not the future. And there are progressive companies all over the U.S. whether it's General Motors or Ford or Steve Wynn and Mirage Resorts. That's really the story. Are there disconnects along the way? Are there fights and arguments and egos? Of course, there are. But the overriding story of the Culinary Union in Las Vegas between 1980 and 2014 is that they forged a different relationship, a different model that was unique and successful and helped people to live and achieve their dreams. You don't often get that opportunity.” “I'm not the smartest guy in any room. Never have been and I never will be. But I'm willing to try. I'm willing to be open. I have an opinion and I'll fight with my opinion; you fight with yours because two heads are better than one.” He made room for the disabled, ex-felons, and drug addicts. Arte believes that no person is better than another.

Thalia Dondero is most famous for being the first woman elected to the Clark County Commission. She ran her first successful campaign in 1974 and held office for twenty years. While on the commission, Dondero helped to create Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire state parks, to modernize McCarran International Airport and University Medical Center, and served on the Water Authority Board. She served as a member of the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education for twelve years after retiring from the County Commission in 1994. Dondero died September 4, 2016 from complications from congestive heart failure. Thalia Marie Dondero was born January 23, 1920. Her father, Doyle Sperry, was a taxidermist and her mother, Sylvia Peck, was a violinist and worked in a laundry. She lived in both Colorado and Wyoming before her family settled in Bakersfield, California. Dondero moved to Las Vegas in 1943 when her employer took a job with Basic Magnesium, Inc. and requested that she follow him. On June 21, 1946 she married Harvey Dondero who taught English and journalism for local high schools,. The couple had two daughters and three sons together. Dondero was very active in her community. While her children were in school, she volunteered for the Parent Teacher Association and even served as the organization’s president. She was also very active with local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops in Las Vegas. She served as executive director of the girl scouts and was instrumental in creating the Foxtail Girl Scout Camp at Mount Charleston. Throughout her life, Dondero volunteered with a number of Las Vegas organizations, including the Junior League, the International Women’s Foundation, and the Gilcrease Foundation.