Oral history interview with Ward Wengert conducted by Perry Kaufman on May 28, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wengert discusses the banking career of his father Cyril S. Wengert in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Bren Armstrong by Charles Bell on October 19, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Armstrong discusses the Las Vegas, Nevada newspaper business and his career as a political reporter for the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dan McKenzie conducted by Connie Degerness on February 12, 1975 for the Boulder City Library Oral History Project. In this very short interview, McKenzie explains why he came to Nevada from Arizona, finding work on the Hoover Dam construction in April 1930, and then lists all of his subsequent work in maintenance and mechanics during the dam's construction.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Brittney Erickson conducted by Claytee D. White on August 14, 2015 for the Building a Las Vegas Tech Culture oral history project. In this interview, Erickson talks about growing up in Henderson in a household that pursued the family-owned business, her education and work as a teacher, and "The Spirit Project", a web-based software tool that links government agencies to people with social challenges.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Christina Gruber conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 2, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Gruber shares her experience living in Las Vegas, Nevada since 1997 and as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), mother of two, and physical fitness enthusiast. She recalls being shot during the Route 91 Harvest Festival and being rescued by strangers. She recalls the chaos of the evening, but also how strangers worked together to comfort each other amidst the terror. She discusses dedicated her athletic races to those who were murdered that evening, and how it has helped her recovery. Digital audio and transcript available.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alden Sharp conducted by Alex Ilic on March 01, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sharp discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1938 for employment opportunities. Sharp also discusses his career as a pharmacist as well as changes in the city. Lastly, Sharp discusses atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles Hirsch conducted by Mike Olson on September 28, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hirsch discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1938, how gambling became popular as more casinos were being built, his different occupations, and above ground atomic testing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marion Lindesmith conducted by Elizabeth Nelson Patrick on March 17, 1984 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Lindesmith describes her unhappiness with moving to Nevada with her husband in 1942 and living in government-owned housing in Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Albert Purdue conducted by Claytee D. White on August 16, 2000 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Purdue begins by explaining the importance of the railroad industry and specifically the Union Pacific Railroad Company to early Las Vegas, Nevada. He discusses his family's military history and the presence of the military in Nevada during the 1940s for desert training for the North African front during World War II. He gives an overview of life in Las Vegas from the 1940s to the 1960s, and discusses how the city has changed and what the future of the city may look like. Purdue talks about when the casinos of Las Vegas were controlled by organized crime and when Howard Hughes arrived and began buying properties. Purdue also discusses racial segregation in Las Vegas and the diverse peoples who live in the city.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Shannon Rabb conducted by Claytee D. White on December 20, 2022 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Rabb describes her experience living in the Herbert Gerson Housing Development on the Westwide of Las Vegas. She describes it as safe, as community, and as protection from the police. In this interview, Rabb discusses a wide variety of topics including gangs, drugs, Westside businesses, and family with an expanded definition.
Archival Collection