Oral history interview with William Trent Jr. conducted by Cathy Joseph on March 23, 1986 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Trent discusses his family background, and his personal history in Las Vegas, Nevada. Trent then discusses his work as an electrical contractor, changes in Las Vegas as gambling increased, and he recalls the development of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
A picture postcard with photographs of a mule team hauling wagons of ore or lumber in Reno, Nevada in 1870; automobiles hauling ore in 1927; Main Street in Reno, Nevada, 1870; men playing roulette at the Palace Gambling House in Reno, Nevada in 1906; and a man standing next to tall saguaro cacti in the desert.
John Cahlan (1902-1988) discusses his experiences in journalism, including his work as an editor for the Review Journal. Cahlan is interviewed by Lester Wisbrod. He provides details on some of the major events covered by the newspaper, such the building of the Boulder Dam, as well as his work in establishing Nellis Air Force Base. Cahlan also describes some of the social changes over time, including the growth of air travel for tourism and gambling.
Oral history interview with Roy Student conducted by Claytee D. White on July 6, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Roy Student discusses his career as a gaming and hospitality executive in Las Vegas, his work as a consultant and speaker for the international casino and gaming industry, and his past experiences working in Las Vegas casinos.
Subjects discussed include: Control Credit; Todd Early; Cohen; Howard Hughes; Dunes Hotel and Casino; Silver Slipper Gambling Hall and Saloon; General Instruments; junkets
Oral history interview with Don Laughlin conducted by A. D. Hopkins on June 13, 1999 for the Las Vegas Review-Journal First 100 Oral History Project. In this interview, Laughlin discusses his early life in Minnesota, his start in gambling, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952. Laughlin describes how he started his business including the process of obtaining licenses and buying property. Lastly, Laughlin talks about gaming competition in Arizona, his children, and his business' expansion.
Mike DeJong grew up in Michigan and moved to Las Vegas in 1990 at the age of 21. DeJong attended and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and entered the casino industry as a pit clerk at The Mirage. He also worked as a floor representative for Club Mirage, the casino’s players club, before going into the MAP program which allowed him to learn about and transition into supervisory roles. DeJong became an assistant shift manager at The Mirage and eventually became shift manager at that property until moving to Bellagio as it was opening to become a slot manager in 1998. DeJong then became director of slot operations at Bellagio and in 2005 went to the New York-New York property as director of slot operations and marketing, which eventually led him into the position of vice president of casino operations and marketing. DeJong currently works at Wynn Las Vegas as vice president of slot operations and marketing. In his interview, DeJong discusses the different aspects of his various positions in Las Vegas Strip casinos, and he talks about the qualities of both good and bad slot managers, specifically in terms of making decisions and interacting with customers. He also describes his philosophy on what makes a good slot floor and how target clientele is considered. DeJong also talks about the transition from coins to ticketing in slot machines and his experience witnessing both resistance and the realization of benefits from that change. He also discusses how the casino industry has changed overall and what he believes the future of the slot floor will look like in ten years. DeJong finalizes the interview by talking about his personal gambling experiences and also by providing advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.