Oral history interview with Samuel Smith conducted by Claytee White on June 17, 2011 and June 22, 2011 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Smith discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1978 and working as a fire inspector until he retired in 2003. He also discusses organizing free reading and math classes to help people prepare for the firefighter exam.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frank Rist conducted by William F. Vornholt on May 11, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Rist discusses his personal history working as a musician and owning a bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rist also describes the development of Las Vegas over the years and the distinctions between the different casinos and shows.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tom Godbey conducted by James Greene on September 28, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Godbey discusses how he and his wife were the first couple to build a home in Boulder City, Nevada. He also talks about working for the City Marshall and Water Commission of Silverton, Nevada, and the Mining Nevada Assembly.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gertrude Naegle conducted by Jeff Bradshaw on March 31, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Naegle recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada after buying a gas-filling station. She also discusses the above ground atomic testing, The Old Fort, and visits by President John F. Kennedy and Howard Hughes.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Vee Wilson conducted by Connie Malin on April 12, 2003 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Wilson reflects upon his 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with Nevada’s Clark County School District (CCSD) from the 1960s to the 1990s. He discusses his approach to school administration, and the importance of working relationships with students, staff, and parents.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Betty Blevins conducted by Emily Powers on March 18, 2008 for the Heart to Heart Oral History Project. Blevins discusses her career as an operating room nurse at Sunrise, Southern Nevada Memorial, and Valley Hospitals. She also talks about the first open heart surgery, the first corneal transplant, and the first kidney harvest for a transplant in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Augusta Massey conducted by Steve Hayes on November 14, 2011 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Massey discusses her early life in Nigeria, moving to Memphis, Tennessee, and then relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2008. She talks about her educational experience in Memphis and compares social life in the South and the West. Massey describes her career in law, working in various law firms in Las Vegas, and starting mentoring programs for new attorneys. Lastly, Massey discusses the importance of scholarships for students in law school, her involvement with the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association (LVNBA), and why it is important for lawyers to be active in the LVNBA.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patrick Gaffey conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on August 19, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Gaffey discusses the McCarran airport redesign, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District building program, First Interstate Bank tower, and Clark County Government Center. He also discusses the redesign of the Maryland Parkway corridor and public art. Gaffey then talks about the City of Las Vegas Public Art Committee, Las Vegas City Hall art installation, and City of Las Vegas Maintenance and Operations.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Marie Jordan conducted by Edward Gentry on February 27, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Jordan discusses the social differences between Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, particularly in the ways schools were segregated. Jordan also discusses the “Whites Only” policy on the Las Vegas Strip.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ernest Fountain conducted by Claytee D. White on March 27, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Fountain discusses African American owned businesses and explains why these businesses are disproportionately disappearing and going out of business. Fountain then talks about the importance of understanding finance and economics, small businesses, and starting his lending firm, New Ventures Capital Development Company. Lastly, Fountain explains the process of owning a bank, and the importance of having more African American owned financial institutions.
Archival Collection