Oral history interviews with Thalia Dondero conducted by Suzanne Becker on March 10, 2008 and August 22, 2008 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Dondero opens her interviews discussing why she became involved with the Las Vegas, Nevada Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and eventually the Nevada State PTA. Dondero then describes her work with the Girl Scouts and her election campaign for a seat on the Clark County Commission. Dondero also discusses Las Vegas city development and how the city has flooding issues. Later Dondero discusses her membership in the Las Vegas Junior League and her work throughout the state to supervise the living conditions of foster care children. Lastly, she describes her experience as a commissioner working to ensure various goods and services were available to the community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Fred Anderson conducted by Cortez Corley on April 22, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Anderson discusses his history of living in Ely, Nevada. Anderson primarily discusses his experiences as a miner working for the Kennecott Copper Corporation. He also mentions his experiences with unions, atomic testing, and the growth of Nevada in general.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Hamed Ahmady conducted by Stefani Evans on March 22, 2023 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Interviewed by Stefani Evans. Culinary Union Local 226 organizer Hamed Ahmady recalls his childhood as the oldest of six children in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan. As an child, he remembers hearing about the September 11, 2001 attack in New York while living in a Taliban-controlled city on a television connected to a concealed antenna that received signals from Uzbekistan. He recalls how, one month after he graduated high school, he became an translator for the U.S. Army, which he did for more than four years. He talks about securing his Special Immigrant Visa (SIV); landing in Los Angeles, California in 2013 and moving his family to the United States; and supporting his siblings and parents in Afghanistan. He also discusses relocating his family from California to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2018, finding a mosque community, and working with Culinary Union Local 226.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dayvid Figler conducted by Barbara Tabach on June 22, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Figler discusses his youth, his bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Sholom, and path to a career as a criminal defense attorney. He also talks about embracing Las Vegas, Nevada as his home, owning a home in the John S. Park neighborhood, and mentions a number of literary depictions of Las Vegas that he admires.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patricia and Robert Schnider conducted by Claytee D. White on October 22, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Robert discusses his early life and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955. He remembers attending Nevada Southern University (now University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and his father's ownership of the Capri Motel. Patricia discusses her upbringing in Las Vegas, and growing up homesteading. Lastly, Patricia and Robert describe entertainment in Las Vegas during the late 1950s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Linda Van Tuyl conducted by Ruth Brainard on February 22, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Van Tuyl discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1948 to work as a nurse and describes nursing practices during that time. Later, Van Tuyl discusses the integration of accessibility accommodations for people with disabilities throughout Las Vegas. Van Tuyl later shares her thoughts on Medicare and other forms of health insurance.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Joan Swift conducted by Sue Peterson on March 18, 2004, March 25, 2004, and June 22, 2004 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Swift discusses life in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1940s and 1950s. Swift begins the interview by describing her upbringing in the Basic townsite and Boulder City, Nevada, attending Basic High School, and life in Southern Nevada during World War II. She then discusses working in the Clark County Recorder's office, explaining her job duties and what function the office served for the county. Swift continues, talking about recreation activities at the time, including visiting the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and the Helldorado Parades. Swift discusses nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site and her career as the Clark County recorder. Lastly, she describes her thoughts on the future of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Astrid Silva conducted by Monserrath Hernández and Barbara Tabach on April 22, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Astrid Silva was born in Gomez Palacio, Durango in 1988. She immigrated with her mother to the United States in 1992, where they were met by her father before flying to Los Angeles. She recounts her first impression of the United States and her families eventual move to Las Vegas, where she describes her time living in Las Vegas’ west side and struggles she faced being an undocumented student living in Las Vegas. She describes her first meeting with Senator Harry Reid and the friendship that developed afterwards. She has spoken at the Democratic National Convention and has been vocal about her status as a Dreamer. She is currently the Executive Director for DREAM Big Nevada which was established in 2017 in order to provide aid to Nevada’s immigrant families. She writes about her hopes for Dreamers and her continued work in expanding the ways that immigrant families can be helped in an always changing political climate. Subjects discussed include: DACA, Dreamers, Immigrant Rights, and Higher Education.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert H. Barrett conducted by Robert B. Grzywacz on February 22, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Barrett discusses the history of early Las Vegas, Nevada in terms of prostitution, education, Carole Lombard's plane crash, and atomic testing at Yucca Flats, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Vaughan O. Holt conducted by Lee LaVecchia on February 22, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Holt offers an overview on marriage and family life in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also discusses local transportation, education, and occupations. He also talks about pollution, tourism, railroads, and the development of the Las Vegas Strip.
Archival Collection