Oral history interview with H. P. Fitzgerald conducted by Wymon Henderson on March 14, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Fitzgerald discusses black history in Las Vegas, Nevada, school integration, and being one of the first black administrators for Clark County School District.
Archival Collection
The Game On! Oral History of Sports in Las Vegas interviews (2024-) contain all oral history interviews conducted by UNLV University Libraries Oral History Research Center. This project centers on documenting the history of sports in Las Vegas, including interviews discussing the earliest teams to the most recent champions. Interviews cover a wide array of sports including hockey, football, baseball, softball, auto racing, tennis, basketball, poker, boxing, rodeo, golf, running, esports, and more. Digital audio available for all interviews; check collection inventory for individual narrators and more detailed information on specific interviews.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with H. P. Fitzgerald conducted by Kathlyn Wilson on March 09, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Fitzgerald discusses black history in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also talks about school integration and being one of the first black administrators for Clark County School District.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Sherril and Samuel Coleman conducted by Claytee White on February 12 and 22, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In these interviews, Sherrill and Samuel Coleman discuss experiencing violence against African Americans in Durant, Mississippi, and discuss moving to Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1990s. The Colemans later describe their contributions with the African American community and recall the poor working conditions for African Americans in Las Vegas and throughout the United States. The two then discuss social class, American Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), and their involvement with religious organizations.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Daisy Lee Miller conducted by Claytee D. White on March 22, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Miller discusses Las Vegas, Nevada’s education system and raising her children in the Westside community amidst the civil rights movement.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with J. D. Smith conducted by Albert Hewitt on October 31, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Smith begins by discussing his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1927 after buying an office for his dental practice. He describes life in Las Vegas at the time, how the city has expanded and changed, and his career as a dentist. Smith also talks about his time as president of the Nevada State Board of Education. He concludes by elaborating on other aspects of Las Vegas history, such as the crash of Carole Lombard's plane, the Helldorado Parades, and nuclear weapons testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ivory H. Blue II conducted by John Grygo on 2013 February 22 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. This oral history documents the early life of Ivory H. Blue II in Las Vegas, Nevada while growing up in the Westside projects. He also discusses his college years in the 1990s at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Archival Component
Oral history interview with C. D. Williams conducted by Edwin R. Smith on July 07, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Williams discusses his career as a firefighter in Las Vegas, Nevada and the history of the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department. He describes his early history, moving to Las Vegas in 1942, and how he obtained his position in the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department. Williams also describes his training, the equipment they utilized, and how that equipment, as well as the fire department itself, has changed over time. He tells anecdotes of calls and his experiences in the department. Williams explains how the construction of the Basic Magnesium Plant and Nellis Air Force Base affected the fire department. He talks about how and why the Clark County Fire Department and North Las Vegas Fire Department were established, and how Las Vegas casinos paid the city for fire protection. Lastly, Williams discusses being drafted during World War II and his service as a military fire fighter.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gloria Dea Anzalone conducted by Claytee D. White on October 22, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gloria Dea describes her childhood in Oakland, California where she learned the art of magic from her father. Her family moved to Sacramento where Gloria Dea first performed in Breuners Department Store and by age twelve, she was working in nighclubs. Later in Hollywood, Gloria Dea danced in several films and entertained in USO shows. She performed in 1941 at the Last Frontier and the El Rancho - some of the earliest places on what was later the Las Vegas Strip. In the interview, she recalls time serving as president of both the Women's Club of Burbank, Hadassah, and the board of American Guild of Variery Artists.
Archival Collection