The James H. Down Sr. Scrapbooks (1933-1979) contain newspaper clippings and political advertisements about his political and civic involvement in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The James H. Down Sr. Scrapbooks (1933-1979) contain newspaper clippings and political advertisements about his political and civic involvement in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Collection is open for research.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Materials remain in original order.
County Commissioner and business owner James H. Down Sr. (1877-1946) was born in Michigan on September 20, 1877. After the death of both of his parents, he was adopted by Walter A. Down. In 1907 James H. Down married his first wife, Rogena Mahar. They moved to Nevada in 1916 and settled in Goodsprings, Nevada where he worked for George A. Fayle. In 1923, Down relocated to Las Vegas and operated a garage. He opened a Studebaker automobile dealership at the corner of Main and Carson Streets in downtown Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas, James H. Down Sr. was active in the Fraternal Order of Eagles and was a founding member of the Las Vegas Kiwanis Club. He served as president of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 1932 and remained actively involved with the Chamber until his death. He sought political office in Las Vegas several times, running for Las Vegas mayor, Las Vegas City Commission, and Clark County Commission. Voters elected him for one term to the Las Vegas City Commission in 1933 and to the Clark County Commission in 1942. James H. Down Sr. died from a heart attack in 1946. His son, James H. Down Jr., was a member of the Las Vegas Housing Authority and also served as president of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 1948.
James H. Down Sr. Scrapbooks, 1933-1979. MS-00236. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Materials were donated in 1979 by Dorothy Down Lawrence; accession number 79-209.
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Angela Moor revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards.
Administrative Information
The photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in James Down Photographs. PH-00015. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.