Oral history interview with Lon Bronson conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 23, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bronson discusses his early life in Keene, New Hampshire, and his initial interest in music. Bronson talks about arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985, the musical scene in the city at the time, and the musician’s union strike of 1989. He describes when casino shows switched from live musicians to prerecorded music, and the shortage of jobs for musicians after that decision. Lastly, Bronson discusses the current entertainment scene in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Harriet Barlow conducted by Elsha Harris-Tolanda on April 27, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Barlow discusses her personal history and growing up in Robbins, Illinois. She talks about her education, discrimination in schools, and the process of school integration. Barlow then recalls her first impressions of Las Vegas, Nevada and her employment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Lastly, Barlow describes going through graduate school as an African American and explains why conversations about race relations can be difficult.
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
Oral history interview with Dr. Jack Cherry conducted by Lowell Christie on June 17, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cherry discusses environmental change in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cherry also recalls experiencing an atomic bomb test.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stanley Schwartz conducted by Carol Schwartz on March 01, 1980 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Schwartz discusses Las Vegas, Nevada early history, including businesses, Fremont Street and Downtown, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mary M. Gafford conducted by Claytee D. White on September 24, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Mary Gafford discusses her 30 year teaching career for the Clark County School District (CCSD) and her community service projects working with organizations such as the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Mayflower Society, the Nevada Statehood Sesquicentennial, and the Nevada Women's History Project.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Irving J. Foreman conducted by John Russell Foreman on March 16, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Foreman speaks about his career in the construction industry in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also discusses the changes in the construction industry from the 1950s to the 1970s, including the machinery used.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Joseph Delaney conducted by Carol Hunter on October 24, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Joseph Delaney first discusses how Las Vegas, Nevada looked when he first moved to the city in 1961 and the evolution of performance places and the admission processes within the hotels. Delaney also discusses the agreements between the properties and various entertainers for their residencies, while mentioning the entertainers involved with said agreements. Delaney then discusses his career in the entertainment industry.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Fred Thompson conducted by Henry A. LeClaire Jr. on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Thompson discusses his personal history and upbringing in Nevada. Thompson describes moving around the state due to his father's work as a miner and the types of ores his father would mine, including tungsten and uranium. Thompson also describes life in the rural desert, desert wildlife, the miners' lifestyle, and the interactions he had with Native Americans. Thompson goes on to discuss moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965 after his father was hired as an operating engineer for the Nevada Test Site. He talks about the differences between living in the city compared to the country and how Las Vegas has evolved.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tanya Olson conducted by Claytee D. White on July 6, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Olson recalss beginning October 2, 2017 to photograph scenes surrounding the aftermath of the shooting at the Route 91 Country Music Festival. Her efforts culminated in a film that highlights the Healing Garden, a memorial established after the shooting. It was dedicated on the first Friday of October 2017. Her 6-minute film, Forever In Our Hearts, is described as "Citizens unite to provide kindness and salve the wounds caused by the October 1, 2017 massacre during a Las Vegas country concert." The film was shown at the Nevada Women's Film Festival in 2018. Olson discusses beginning her latest endeavor, matriculating at the American Film Institute, a lifelong dream that she is pursuing after 23 years in the military, a film degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and completing her film project on one of the worst massacres in American history.
Archival Collection