The Southwest Oral History Association Records contains records of the Southwest Oral History Association (SOHA) from 1981 to 2020. Records include agendas and minutes from the executive board committee, financial records, correspondence, photographs, and planning documents for SOHA's annual conference.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Patsy Leavitt conducted by Elizabeth Neumann on March 17, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Leavitt discusses her maternal grandmother, who brought her mother and uncle to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1931, and explains how her grandmother opened a boardinghouse that she ran until her death in 1948. She then discusses her father's family, who arrived in Las Vegas in the late 1920s and established a sand and gravel business. She discusses her education and marriage, and reflects on Las Vegas in the 1950s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Cleophis Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on April 27, 2010 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview Cleophis Williams discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, marrying her husband Tom Williams, having nine children, and family life in the historic Las Vegas neighborhood the Westside.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Kilduff conducted by Stefani Evans on November 03, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Kilduff discusses his early life in New Jersey. He talks about his background in accounting, and his employment with Arthur Anderson LLC and Leisure Technology. Kilduff recalls arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993, joining the Howard Hughes Corporation, and his role with American Nevada Company. Kilduff describes the development of Summerlin, Green Valley, Aliante, and infrastructure differences in those areas. Lastly, Kilduff discusses building Bishop Gorman High School.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nel Downing conducted by Scottie Rector in the 1970s for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Downing first talks about the first properties in the Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada area before talking about the forms of transportation available in Las Vegas. She also talks about her work with the Clark County Housing Authority, the development of Henderson, some of the early churches, and the beginnings of gambling in Henderson. She then discusses gambling, life in Nevada, the Helldorado parade, and inflation over time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Louis Richardson conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on July 29, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Richardson discusses his personal history growing up in South Carolina and his education in construction and engineering. Richardson describes being deployed to Vietnam after graduating college and his career as a design engineer for Mead Corporation. He then talks about teaching youth and young adults in Sierra Leone, West Africa in the mid to late 1960s. Later, Richardson recalls starting his construction business, Richardson Construction, and the first projects he was involved with throughout Las Vegas, Nevada. Lastly, Richardson discusses working on buildings at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jim Bonaventure conducted by Claytee D. White on September 09, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Bonaventure discusses the Culinary Union Local 226, the value of workers academy, failure of African-American integration on the Las Vegas Strip, and general life in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gertrude Klanderund conducted by Barbara Clark on June 17, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Klanderund discusses being an educator in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as her experiences living in Henderson and Caliente, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Snyder conducted by Claytee D. White on November 21, 2008 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Snyder discusses being an architect who worked for Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects. He also talks about the school named after him, working with the children who attended that school, and designing the McCaw School of Mines for McCaw Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with David Pearl conducted by Cameron Holloway on February 27, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Pearl recalls his first impressions of Las Vegas, Nevada when arriving in 1949. Pearl then discusses the environmental and social changes in Las Vegas. Pearl later describes his work as a boxing referee and recalls stories of some of the matches that he refereed. Lastly, Pearl discusses the Athletic Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and talks about the growth of athletics at UNLV.
Archival Collection