Bob Coffin [born James Robert Coffin IV] arrived in Las Vegas in 1951. His family moved to find a better climate for their nine-year-old, who suffered from allergies and asthma. His first memory is the long, nine hour drive from California on two-lane highway. The family rented a home in the Huntridge until 1960 when they moved to the John S. Park Neighborhood. He weaves a tale of life in Las Vegas from his perspective of a young politician who admired the neighborhood to becoming the owner of the Gubler home with his wife Mary Hausch in 1987. Bob is a longtime local politician and activist with a special interest in neighborhood preservation. He was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 1982 and 1984 and to the State Senate in 1986. He offers insights to the past, changing demographics, and the future of the John S. Park Neighborhood. Special note: Mary Hausch, who is married to Bob Coffin, has also been interviewed as part of the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood project.
Seneca Eugene Anderson interviews pharmacist and politician Robert N. Broadbent (born in Ely, Nevada in 1925). Broadbent discusses origination, government, and changes in Boulder City, Nevada.
On March 8, 1975, John Neal interviews Ruth Hazard (birthdate unknown, 67 years old) in her home about her memory of how Southern Nevada has changed economically. Hazard goes in-depth about her knowledge of municipal politics and her husband’s friendships with a number of Nevadan politicians. Hazard also briefly talks about her fascination with the above-ground atomic tests, speakeasies during Prohibition, and local anxieties about Las Vegas “losing its identity.”
In the dusty border town of Douglas, Arizona, Dr. Jack Lund Schofield was born in the family home in 1923. Due to the economic woes of the Great Depression, the Schofield family moved several times until 1937—the year that Jack's father took a position as a tungsten broker and moved his family of five children to Nevada. For Jack, who was ready to start high school, the move from Phoenix to Las Vegas with a small population of 5000 was a shock. However, it did not take the gregarious Jack long to make friends at Las Vegas High School. He played sports and was a Golden Glove boxing champion. As Jack's high school years drew to an end, two major events occurred: he met his future wife and World War II began. He proudly highlights his service as a fighter pilot in both WWII and the Korea conflict, his family genealogy, and his devotion to being an excellent educator, businessman, family man, and politician. In 1995, he earned his doctorate in education at the age of 72. His resume includes being an elected official, serving on the Board of Regents and having a middle school named after him. Jack and his wife, Alene, have resided in the John S. Park Neighborhood for over 50 years and describes his affection for the neighborhood and some of the changes that have occurred.
Part of an interview with Senator Joe Neal by Claytee White on March 6, 2006. Neal discusses the cost of tourism posed by the gaming industry in Nevada and compares the low taxes on gaming profits to higher gaming taxes elsewhere.
Color image of politician Bob Edgar standing near a pile of palm leaves during a peaceful anti-nuclear testing demonstration held on Palm Sunday in the Nevada desert. Other protesters are seated.
Color image of politician Bob Edgar holding up a palm leaf while marching in an anti-nuclear testing demonstration held on Palm Sunday in the Nevada desert.
L-R: Human rights and anti-crime activist John Walsh and Nevada politician-businessman Kenny Guinn at the WE CAN "Love Ya Child" benefit at the Union Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas. WE CAN (Working to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect) was a chapter of the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (later Prevent Child Abuse America). Guinn was Vice President of Nevada Savings and Loan at the time, and served as Governor of Nevada from 1999-2007. Site Name: Union Plaza Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, Nev.) Street Address: 1 South Main Street