Oral history panel composed of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) students Lisa McAllister, Larry Sampson, John Grygo, and Ashley Smith along with community narrators Jerrie Merritt, Geraldine Kirk Hughes, Keith Brantley, and Hannah Brown, moderated by Julia Lee and Claytee White on March 30, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. The group discusses working with each other during the collection of oral histories for the project, the value of the interchange for both narrator and interviewer, the value of oral histories as repositories of individual and collective memory, and related stories about their experiences.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Leva Beckley conducted by Bernard Timberg of KLVX Channel 10 on January 20 and 31, 1974. In this interview, Buckley talks of moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband in 1910, setting up her husband's clothing business at the Hotel Nevada, the construction of the family home at 120 South Fourth Street, and the birth of her two children. She discusses raising her children, the various amusements the community offered to young families, and her activities as a charter member of the Mesquite Club. She also responds to questions about changes in the culture of the city, particularly in regard to crime and illegal activities. Finally, she shares family photographs with the interviewer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Leroy Burt, Joseph Kine, and Tommy Nelson conducted by Dennis McBride on November 10 and 11, 1986 for the Boulder City Library Oral History Project. The men discuss what they had been doing when the depression started in 1929, when they moved to Nevada, and their first jobs in Boulder City and the dam site. They share stories about their work experiences and discuss the different types of work at the dam, including high scalers, form strippers, jackhammer operators, and concrete pouring and puddling. They also talk about incidents and accidents that occurred during production, and the differences in safety standards in the 1930s and the 1980s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Vadeem Volansky, Anastasia Popovich, and Amdrei Skoro conducted by Jan Biggerstaff in approximately 2008 for the Let;s Runaway and Join the Circus Oral History Project. In this interview, Volansky reflects upon his upbringing in Ukraine, his entrance into circus college, and his competitions before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to perform in shows such as Mystere. Popovich discusses her upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada, while her father worked in a show at the Circus Circus. She reflects upon having the show animals at home, how she trained for the circus, and eventually worked in the theater at the Aladdin, later Planet Hollywood. Skoro discusses his upbringing in Chelyabinsk, Russia, military operations before the city name was changed to Ozersk, and his entrance into circus school. Digital transcript available; no audio recording.
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Maude Woo conducted by Barbara Tabach on February 11, 2007 and February 25, 2007 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In these interviews, Woo discusses her early childhood in Korea, taking care of her siblings, and difficult memories of war. Later, she discusses travelling to the United States and having foster parents, and going to college for nursing. She married her first husband and they had two sons, David and John. The family moved to Orange County, California where Maude raised the family and eventually started a private practice. Later, Woo divorced her first husband. She married her current husband, Leland, in 2011. She discusses her family, the importance religion has in her life, and coming to Las Vegas, Nevada to retire. Digital audio and photographs available; digital transcript draft available.
Archival Collection
Oral history with Nathan Harper conducted by Claytee D. White on July 29, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Harper describes his childhood and growing up in Wichita, Kansas and how those early days shaped his belief system today. After discussing his experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Cyprus, Harper discusses his role, beginning in 2007, as Archaeologist for the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada. He talks about unearthing the history of John Howell, the first Black man in Las Vegas who claimed land near what is now Springs Preserve. He also talks about relocating railroad cottages to the Preserve, restoring, and even decorating the buildings. He talks about the history of early Las Vegas and the area's water supply throughout the interview.
Archival Collection
The Robin Leach Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Audiovisual Collection (1984-1999) is comprised of 25 boxes of VHS tapes that contain recordings of various television shows produced and hosted by Robin Leach. Primarily, they consist of episode tapings of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (1984-1999), which showcased wealthy lifestyles and featured hundreds of notable guests, such as Princess Diana, Liberace, Donald Trump, Michael Jackson, and Audrey Hepburn. Additionally, there are tapes from Lifestyles' two spinoff shows, Runaway With the Rich and Famous (1991-1998) and Fame, Fortune, and Romance (1986-1987). Also included are tapes from the series Start of Something Big (1985-1986) and Gourmet Getaways (1997-1998), as well as a number of home videos, episode previews, and television specials.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ashley Nitz conducted by Claytee D. White on February 6, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Ashley Nitz discusses her experiences attending the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada with a friend. She talks about making the weekend of the event a "staycation", where she stayed with her friend at the Trump Hotel. Nitz goes into detail on the Route 91 Harvest festival venue and the events of that Sunday night when the shooting began. She speaks of the lockdown in the Tropicana Hotel and the support given there to all of the survivors, such as water and medical aid, as well as her journey home once the lockdown was lifted. The interview ends with a discussion on life after the shooting. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Corey Nyman conducted by Claytee D. White on May 04, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Nyman recalls his high school and college experiences, and working in Las Vegas, Nevada as a young adult. On October 1, 2017, Nyman attended the Route 91 Country Music Festival with his brother and a group of friends. They enjoyed the concert from the Red Bull VIP suite, which Nyman felt helped them escape bullets as he and his friends helped others escape. About three hours after escaping the venue, they arrived at Tropicana Avenue and Koval Lane where their ride picked them up. The driver was one of the last allowed into the area under the airport underpass. Nyman discusses his feelings since the shooting, and states that he loves the city and has made it his home despite the traumatic events of the night.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Tanya Olson conducted by Claytee D. White on July 6, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Olson recalss beginning October 2, 2017 to photograph scenes surrounding the aftermath of the shooting at the Route 91 Country Music Festival. Her efforts culminated in a film that highlights the Healing Garden, a memorial established after the shooting. It was dedicated on the first Friday of October 2017. Her 6-minute film, Forever In Our Hearts, is described as "Citizens unite to provide kindness and salve the wounds caused by the October 1, 2017 massacre during a Las Vegas country concert." The film was shown at the Nevada Women's Film Festival in 2018. Olson discusses beginning her latest endeavor, matriculating at the American Film Institute, a lifelong dream that she is pursuing after 23 years in the military, a film degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and completing her film project on one of the worst massacres in American history.
Archival Collection