Oral history interview with Chris Tonemah conducted by David Schwartz on June 08, 2015 for the Table Games Management Oral History Project. In this interview, Tonemah discusses her upbringing in Flagstaff, Arizona and attending dealing school in Las Vegas, Nevada. She remembers the switch to corporation ownership of Las Vegas casino properties, auditioning to deal at the MGM Grand, and the increase of women dealers during the 1980s. Tonemeh describes the MGM Grand fire and becoming a dealer at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino. Lastly, Tonemeh discusses the opening of The Venetian, transitioning to the roll of pit boss, and changes she has experienced in card dealing.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mark Brandenburg conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 22, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Brandenburg discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about his stepfather’s involvement with the opening of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, becoming a co-owner of the property in 1990, and joining other downtown properties to form the Fremont Street Experience. Brandenburg describes the challenges in competing with mega-resorts on the Strip, modernizing the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, and weaving the history of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino with that of the more recent Fremont Street Experience. Lastly, Brandenburg discusses the monetization of the street, and the future of the Fremont Street Experience.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Steven Clarke conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on November 17, 2016 and December 08, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the first interview, Clarke discusses his early life in Winnipeg, Canada. He talks about his early interest in architecture, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2011. Clarke talks about becoming the director of the Downtown Design Center, future plans for the Historic Westside Community, and his role in the Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment plan. In the second interview, Clarke discusses the HUNDRED Plan, a plan for community-led investment in the Historic Westside.
Archival Collection
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 Jack Herst conducted by Suzan DiFederico on March 01, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Herst talks about the population growth in Nevada and emphasizes the significant changes that Las Vegas, Nevada has experienced from its origins as a small town. Herst also discusses his personal family history, his Jewish identity, community affiliations, and his career as a card dealer and broker at different casinos.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Walter Dane conducted by Ann K. Clark on March 11, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Dane discusses relocating to Indian Springs in 1930 before settling in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1943, then moving to Utah in 1968. Dane also covers the growth and development of the Las Vegas and Indian Springs areas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jerry Waldrop conducted by Harry Ward on February 23, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Waldrop discusses arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1944 as an instructor for the Las Vegas Army Air Corps Gunnery School (now Nellis Air Force Base). Waldrop also describes the increase of hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, social life, and environmental changes in the city.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Anne Kellogg conducted by Claytee White on July 25, 2007 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. Kellogg discusses her parents setting up their first home in the John S. Park Neighborhood and living in the same neighborhood even though they moved to larger houses. She also discusses being a freelance journalist and owning a stationery store in the Holsum Lofts in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard Wyman conducted by Kenneth B. Manoff on March 12, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wyman discusses working at the Nevada Test Site and his involvement with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Engineering Department.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Modestina Rivera conducted by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach on February 05, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Modestina Rivera starts her interview by describing her childhood in the Dominican Republic. She shares memories of her large family and their family history. Rivera recalls the political climate of the Dominican Republic at the time and shares how it affected her family. While in university, Modestina began experimenting with the fine arts, which would later become an important part of her career. She moved to New York in 1984 and began her work as an interviewer and producer. She discusses her career and how it brought her to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001. Rivera also shares her artistic career highlights and her passion for painting.
Archival Collection