While offering anecdotes on Southwest Gas Company’s early years—including its flirtation with a nuclear bomb and owning a casino; its purchase of a Kingman, Arizona, ranch with an underground salt dome, and its involvement with the formation of Boyd Gaming—this oral history also reveals Bill Jr.’s role in applying his knowledge of natural gas infrastructure to promote extensive education about building codes, infrastructure, and engineered systems. In particular, Bill discusses EduCode, the internationally recognized, week-long building code institute held annually in Las Vegas that originally began more than twenty-five years ago and has since attracted worldwide participation. While Bill does not teach at the institute, he has helped organize the course since its inception and has been a consistent supporter.
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The Jean Ford Papers (1958-1996) include political documents, campaign materials for Jean Ford's political campaigns, and materials pertaining to campaign issues such as health services, general improvement districts, and parks and recreation. There is extensive material on Red Rock National Conservation Area, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and the National Issues Forum. Women's issues cover the years 1964-1981 and contain information relating to the League of Women Voters, Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and International Women's Year (IWY), as well as Anti-ERA and Anti-IWY materials.
Archival Collection