Armstrong, Sammie R., 1942-

Sammie Ross Armstrong was the owner of Ray and Ross Transport, the largest minority owned company in the state of Nevada during the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to being the second largest bus company in Clark County, Ray and Ross Transport, employed over 180 people and paid higher wages to their drivers than any other West Coast company. The company was voted one of the Top 5 most well run and safest bus companies of that era and owned more than 40 buses. Before owning Ray and Ross Transport, Armstrong gained experience by working for both Clark County School Transportation and Transportation Unlimited Incorporated.

In this interview, Armstrong talks about growing up and graduating from high school in Camden, Arkansas. He describes his earlier years helping on his family’s farm, raising crops and livestock with his twelve siblings. Sammie played football for Tennessee A&I (now known as the University of Tennessee) and attended Chaffey Junior College. In 1963, he left Chaffey to migrate to Las Vegas where his brother and sister lived. In Las Vegas, he tried multiple occupations, from service station attendant, employee at the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, Safety Director for Clark County School Transportation, worker for Transportation Unlimited Inc., and a bartender for Sugar Hill Cocktail Lounge. Armstrong also recalls early businesses and change within Las Vegas’s Westside during the 1960s and shares his opinion on its future.

By 1975, Sammie Ross Armstrong purchased his first bus and incorporated Ray and Ross Transport. He shares the challenges he faced in receiving the necessary certificate required to operate his bus company. With the assistance of the Nevada Test Site, the company was able to meet all transportation regulations and obtain 40 new buses. He describes Ray and Ross’s reputable training program and emphasizes its importance. The company also provided transportation for President Clinton’s visit to Las Vegas. After selling Ray and Ross in 1999, Ross established his own horse ranch and now does work for the Buffalo Soldiers.