On February 24, 1979, Suzanne Wright interviewed Stella Fleming (born December 1, 1897 in Victoria, Canada) about her experiences as a Las Vegas, Nevada resident and as a worker in the welfare department in Clark County. Fleming first talks about some of her work in welfare and specifically the early practices of the welfare administration. She also discusses her work as it related to the Works Progress Administration, the American Red Cross, and the Nevada Emergency Relief Program. Fleming also provided some anecdotes about her experiences in that field before moving on to discuss some of the historical aspects of Las Vegas, such as the atomic testing, specific landmarks and locations, and the development of the city.
On February 28, 1977, collector Steve Gortz interviewed Mike Meade (b. September 16, 1950 in San Francisco, California) about his life in Nevada. Meade speaks about growing up in Tonopah, Nevada before its decline in population, his move to Elko, Nevada and eventually to the city of Las Vegas. Moreover, he talks about the development of the Strip, the differences between Las Vegas and rural Nevada, as well as the changing environmental landscape. Meade also spends time discussing the controversy surrounding the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) dormitory at the time of this interview, the attitude of locals, and his opinion on brothels and prostitution. Lastly, Meade talks about the city’s pollution, the sports and recreation throughout the whole of the state and ends by reading a poem about Nevada from a Bicentennial book.
Interviewed by Barbara Tabach. Mara Braun, a native of Puerto Rico, has lived in Las Vegas since 1975. She is the owner/operator of a successful event and catering business. Mara married Abe Braun and raised their children in both Latinx and Jewish traditions.
On March 5, 1980, collector Robbin McLaurin interviews three members of the Jones family, Willie, James, and Jamet Jones (born 1923, 1920, and 1961, respectively) in the Jones home. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were born in Forest, Mississippi, and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for employment related purposes. This interview covers Las Vegas, past and present.