Oral history interview with Ida Perkins conducted by Alexa Sweeny on November 25, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Perkins discusses her personal history growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Perkins talks about recreational activities she participated in, being involved in church, and living in the Windsor Park housing area in North Las Vegas. She then recalls her educational experience in Las Vegas, being involved in school sports, and West Las Vegas housing. Later, Perkins describes businesses on the Westside, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and playing on the women’s basketball team, the Lady Rebels. Lastly, Perkins discusses her contributions in forming the Foxy Ladies Organization, and also changes in Las Vegas.
On March 7, 1979, Lawrence R. Biggs, interviewed local sports enthusiast and blackjack dealer, Archie Curtis, (born August, 10, 1941 in Vidalia, Louisiana) at his home in North Las Vegas, Nevada. He relocated to Southern Nevada from Louisiana in 1942. The interview primarily focused on athletics in Nevada, but also covered racial discrimination on the Strip, social and environmental changes, and the local health effects of the early atomic tests. Archie recalls attending the Westside Elementary School, before attending Madison Junior High School in Las Vegas. He describes playing sports for the school teams and playing against schools, such as, the Fifth Street Elementary School, which was located on Las Vegas Boulevard North, and also J.D. Smith Elementary School, which is located in North Las Vegas. He played against schools in Virgin Valley, Moapa and Caliente.