On June 24, 1975, collector Donna Mattson interviewed native Nevadan mechanic, Stephen La Thair Hawley, (born October 15th, 1936, in Ely, Nevada) in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview offers a historical overview of early Las Vegas including gambling and an in-depth discussion on local economic, environmental, and social changes.
The Howard Schwartz Collection on Gaming documents the gaming industry in the United States from 1966 to 2010. The collection includes manuscripts, periodicals, newspaper articles, ephemera, profit and probability profiles and a report from the National Gambling Impact Study Commission.
The Nevada Gaming Fiftieth Anniversary collection consists of materials dating from 1981 related to the fiftieth anniversary of the legalization of gaming in the state of Nevada. Included in the collection are programs, invitations, and memorabila commemorating the fiftieth anniversary that were collected by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Special Collections.
The collection consists of seven numbered art prints, hand signed by Arizona artist, Erni Cabat, with accompanying certificates of authenticity. The prints were created from original gouache paintings of scenes from casino life, and distributed by Nevada Magazine to mark the 50th anniversary of gambling in Nevada in 1981.
Oral history interview with James W. Watts Jr. conducted by Linda Musser on March 13, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Watts discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956, and describes working as a pit boss and card dealer at the Four Queens on Fremont Street. Watts then discusses the first female card dealers, cheating in casinos, and security inside gambling halls. Watts later explains the origins of the Nevada Gaming Commission and explains how it affected gambling throughout Nevada. Lastly, Watts talks about the responsibilities of a pit boss.
Black and white photograph of the Stocker Bros. at old Northern Club Bar and Casino before machine gambling came in. Physical object has additional copies.
On February 20, 1978, Laura Busch interviewed her mother, Pearl Busch (born 1936 in Winona, Minnesota) about her experience of living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pearl first describes her original move to Southern Nevada and discusses a wide range of topics including the first hotels on the Strip, the growth and expansion of the city, recreational activities such as skiing, and her family. She also talks about gambling and its impact on the city, the clubs and organizations to which she belonged, and her appreciation for the mild Las Vegas climate. The interview finalizes with her thoughts on the biggest excitement Las Vegas offers, her input on the high crime rate in Las Vegas, and her thoughts on the energy crisis and the future of solar energy in Las Vegas.