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Corbett, Stavan, 1974-
Stavan Corbett’s ancestral legacy is a criss-cross of Mexican roots through his mother’s side with Russian and Polish Jew on his father’s side. He was named Steven at birth, and later altered the spelling to Stavan as a recognition of the blending of his cultural backgrounds. Though he has a tanned Latino look, he did not learn Spanish until electing to study it in high school. His mother and his grandparents saw assimilation as a better path for their future and that of the next generations.
Person
Corbett, Stavan, 1974-
Stavan Corbett’s ancestral legacy is a criss-cross of Mexican roots through his mother’s side with Russian and Polish Jew on his father’s side. He was named Steven at birth, and later altered the spelling to Stavan as a recognition of the blending of his cultural backgrounds. Though he has a tanned Latino look, he did not learn Spanish until electing to study it in high school. His mother and his grandparents saw assimilation as a better path for their future and that of the next generations.
Person
Walker, Karen, 1967-
Karen Walker was born February 18, 1967 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She grew up working at her parents’ local restaurant, Hamburger Heaven. She attended community college and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1985.
Person
Christiansen, Norman, 1931-
Norman Christiansen was born on October 11th, 1931 in Red Lodge, Montana. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956 after graduating college in Montana. Christiansen worked at the Nevada Test Site for two years and was a teacher at various schools.
Person
Francis, Beth
Elizabeth Beth Francis was born in Laramie, Wyoming and was interviewed in her house in Las Vegas, Nevada. She talks about her working at Sunrise and Memorial hospital, and teaching and several colleges. When she enrolled in nursing school, she was the mother of four.
Person
Leon Symanski oral history interview, 2024 July 23
Oral history interview with Leon Symanski conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on July 23, 2024 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Symanski, a three-time UNLV graduate, recalls his childhood in Southern California and his early relationship with sports. He recalls playing basketball in high school, college, and being recruited by UNLV coaches, who offered him a scholarship with a well-defined role as a backup player. He understood his role and played with the Runnin' Rebels two seasons (1984-87), including UNLV's second Final Four Team. In this interview, Symanski discusses the celebrity status the team enjoyed; coach Jerry Tarkanian's work ethic and method of teaching and preaching after every practice, coach Tim Grgurich's inspirational style, and the role a coach plays in a player's life. He talks about his ten years in hospitality that began with summer jobs at Paul-Son Gaming, working at the Tropicana and Luxor Hotels, before joining the first class at UNLV Boyd School of Law. Finally, he recalls the indoor basketball city leagues run by the Clark County Department of Parks and Recreation. Digital audio, photographs, and transcript available.
Collection Name: Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports Interviews
Box/Folder: Digital File 00
Archival Component
Rory Reid oral history interview
Oral history interview with Rory Reid conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee White on July 13, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Reid recalls growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada as a Mormon, and his legal and political careers in the Nevada Democratic Party.
Archival Collection