Las Vegas Mayor Oran K. Gragson cutting the ribbon at the opening of Nevada State Bank. The white-haired gentlemen standing to his left is former Nevada Governor Vail Pittman. Oran Kenneth Gragson (February 14, 1911 – October 7, 2002) was an American businessman and politician. He was the longest-serving mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada, from 1959 to 1975. Gragson, a member of the Republican Party, was a small business owner who was elected Mayor on a reform platform against police corruption and for equal opportunity for people of all socio-economic and racial categories. Gragson died in a Las Vegas hospice on October 7, 2002, at the age of 91. The Oran K. Gragson Elementary School located at 555 N. Honolulu Street, Las Vegas, NV 89110 was named in his honor. Vail Montgomery Pittman (September 17, 1880[a] – January 29, 1964) was an American politician. He was the 19th Governor of Nevada. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Pittman moved to Tonopah, Nevada in 1904 and began a successful newspaper publishing career. He met Ida Louise Brewington there and they married in Reno, Nevada on May 20, 1919. He and his wife bought the "Ely Daily Times" in Ely, Nevada and moved there in April of 1920 and began what was to be a very successful business. Elected to the Nevada State Senate, Pittman was in the position from 1925 to 1928. Pittman was elected the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada in 1942. He was a candidate in the Democratic primary for United States Senate in 1944, but was defeated by the incumbent, Pat McCarran. He became governor when Edward P. Carville resigned in 1945. He was elected in 1946 to a term of his own and Pittman served until 1951. He and his wife moved back to Ely and continued operating the "Ely Daily Times" and traveling extensively. He served as a member of the 1960 Democratic National Committee.

From the Howard Cannon Photograph Collection (PH-00192)