As Sari and Paul Aizley recall their separate childhoods and journeys to Las Vegas, their work and volunteer histories, their efforts to build a better society, and their life together they speak to each other as much as they respond to questions about their observations on the growth of the Las Vegas urban environment and their contributions to Southern Nevada's cultural development and a just society. In this interview, Sari and Paul speak to the cross-town commute and the physical UNLV campus in the late 1960s; the growth of the UNLV Math Department; the evolution of UNLV's Continuing Education; the State's North-South funding rivalry as reflected in the built environments of University of Nevada in Las Vegas and in Reno; plans to build a paleontology research facility at Tule Springs National Monument; the Review-Journal's "Ask Jessie Emmet" Real Estate column; local ACLU offices and politics; Fair Housing; transgendered persons; the Nevada State Assembly, and Class! magazine for Clark County high school students. Sari and Paul smile at each other as they recall how the editor/publisher met the bearded math professor and fell in love—despite the fact that they tell slightly different versions of their initial meeting(s). Sari passed away November 1, 2017, three days shy of one year after she participated in this interview.
The Summa Corporation records (1946-1989) include administrative, film-related, legal, and financial records primarily pertaining to the management of Howard Hughes' various corporations and assets. Administrative records contain correspondence and agreements to create The Amazing Howard Hughes documentary, research into Hughes' corporate history, and correspondence describing the management of Hughes' corporations. Film-related records include research into the copyrights of Hughes' films, contracts, agreements, and correspondence regarding film distribution and reel inventories. Legal materials relate to film piracy research and Hughes' legal battles with the Classic Film Museum.
Archival Collection
Howard Hughes Film Production Records
To request this item in person:
Collection Number: MS-01036 Collection Name: Howard Hughes Film Production Records Box/Folder: N/A
When Kenneth Fong was born November 11 1955, the family lived in a modest home on 20th and Stewart in Las Vegas, Nevada. When he entered third-grade, his parents moved his family to a newer subdivision near Rancho and West Charleston Avenue: the Scotch 80s. Their new custom home on Silver Avenue reflected Asian architecture and the family’s Chinese cultural heritage.
Sidney Roxton Whitmore is the son of Roxton and Adella Whitmore. He was born in St. Thomas, Nevada on December 31, 1921. He graduated from Overton High School and served in the Army during World War II. He met and married his wife, Suzette Fortune Ziza, in 1946 while stationed in Algeria. After the war, the couple returned to the United States and Whitmore earned his law degree at George Washington University. He practiced law in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas City Commission appointed him city attorney in 1960 and he was later reelected.
Joan Dunn was born February 22, 1943 in the Bronx of New York City, New York. She was a teenager when she met and fell in love with Leslie Dunn. The couple married in 1962. And their loving partnership as parents and business people began. Joan attended City College of New York and received a BS/MA from UNLV in accounting. The Dunns moved to Las Vegas in 1962, when Les came to work at the Nevada Test Site. Years later, the couple would invest in real estate and were involved in major projects such as the development of the Galleria Mall.
The Appraisals Series (1947-1996) consists of appraisals completed by Bruner’s firm. The bulk of the series dates between 1970 and 1978. Following Elmo C. Bruner’s death, his son Jerry took over as president of the business. The series also contains reference cards organized alphabetically by street name that include information about who requested the appraisal, who performed the appraisal, and fees charged. The cards are incomplete and do not include all the appraisals performed by the firm.
Archival Collection
Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records
To request this item in person:
Collection Number: MS-00177 Collection Name: Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records Box/Folder: N/A
Oral history interview with Sonia Rivelli Jiavis conducted by Nathalie Martinez and Barbara Tabach on March 6, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Rivelli discusses her life including the evolution of her cultural background and her role in business. She describes how her parents moved to Brazil from Italy and how she has come to value her cultural roots in Brazil, Italy, and the United States. She mentions that travel was a major part of her life and that she has been to North America, South America, and Europe. One of Rivelli's accomplishments in her career was helping the development of the Brazilian community in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also states that she created the Aqua Diva Global water purification company in hopes of providing more safe and clean water to all people.