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Transcript of interview with Dedee (DaVeen) Nave by Claytee D. White, June 8, 2015
Dedee (DaVeen) Nave reveals a life filled with distinguished results in the cultural evolution of Las Vegas since her move to the valley in 1971. She was a young bride and soon a mother when she arrived with her can-do energies. She was a trained educator who was eagerly looked outside the classroom for a way to make a difference in the community when she took a position with the Camp Fire Girls Over the following decades, the impact of involving Dedee in many valued projects is evident. In this interview, she provides a glimpse into her various aptitudes and the many people she has worked with to great results. Dedee Nave was born DaVeen Maurer in 1948 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to David and Virginia Maurer and has a sister, Marilyn Maurer MacCollum. Their mother was a convert to Judaism who instilled them with a solid Judeo-Christian foundation. When Dedee became the bride of a mixed marriage, she raised her daughter Alisa in the Jewish faith. Alisa, who is married to Robb Worth, is a practicing attorney in Las Vegas. A graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, Dedee studied fine arts, considered being a theater major, modified her plans and became a skilled organizer of people and projects. This ability to envision, implement, and fundraise is seen in Dedee?s distinguished list of community programs, among them her work with: the City of Las Vegas Arts Commission; two terms on the Nevada State Arts Council; a past president of the Junior League of Las Vegas; former chairperson of the Junior League?s Endowment Fund Trustees; Lied Discovery Children?s Museum opening; and chairperson of Morelli House Public Program and many other initiatives.
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Transcript of interview with Sonja Saltman by Barbara Tabach, August 18, 2015
Included in this oral history are reminiscences of Sonja Saltman's personal non-Jewish heritage in Austria, the importance of her grandmother in her life, and how she recalls becoming part of the Jewish community.
Sonja Saltman is a psychologist and philanthropist in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is executive director and co-founder of the Existential Humanistic Institute, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California that offers training in existential-humanistic therapy and theory. In 2003 Sonja and her husband Michael Saltman founded the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) William S. Boyd School of Law. The Saltman Center is focused on research, teaching, and public service related to "the advanced study of the nature of conflict and how to resolve it." A native of Austria, Sonja Saltman also serves as the Honorary Consul for Austria in Las Vegas. The Saltmans are involved with multiple charitable organizations and initiatives, both locally and abroad. Sonja Saltman has served on the boards of the Anti-Defamation League, Nevada Women's Philanthropy, and the Black Mountain Institute. Projects that the couple has supported include the rebuilding of homes and bridges is Bosnia, and Streetball Hafla, a basketball program to improve relations between Jewish and Arab teenagers in Israel. In 2014 Sonja and Michael Saltman were recognized as Distinguished Nevadans by the Nevada System of Higher Education. Included in this oral history are reminiscences of her personal non-Jewish heritage in Austrian, the importance of her grandmother in her life, and how she recalls becoming part of the Jewish community.
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Transcript of interview with John Wanderer by Barbara Tabach, May 9, 2016 and May 18, 2016
In this interview, Wanderer talks about his first career in auto mechanics and car racing, which developed out of a childhood passion, and eventually took him to Charlotte, North Carolina working for Holman and Moody. He then discusses the decision to move back to Las Vegas with wife, Dorothy (Dottie), to pursue his legal career. Wanderer reflects at length about his mother?s trailblazing legal career, and working with her as legal partners. In addition, Wanderer discusses politics, including his observations from the 2016 Democratic State Convention and running for Democratic Party National Committeeman.
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Nora Mirabal interview, August 30, 2019: transcript
Interviewed by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach. Cuban refugee family by way of Spain and then to the US; arrived in Las Vegas in 1973 when Nora was 9 years old. Struggled in youth but rises up as embraces educaton. Currently is Assistant Director of Academic Partnership at CSN.
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Transcript of interview with Joanne Imprescia by David Furbush, March 20, 1978
On March 20, 1978, David Furbush interviewed Joanne Imprescia (born October 10th, 1927 in Keokek, Iowa) about her life as a hairdresser in Las Vegas, Nevada. Imprescia discusses the growth of Las Vegas and the local social climate of the fifties. The interview concludes with Imprescia explaining her experiences as a Las Vegas business owner and the hairdressing industry in Southern Nevada.
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Transcript of interview with Oscar Goodman by Claytee D. White November 10, 2014
Oscar Baylin Goodman (1939- ) is the former mayor of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, serving 12 years until 2011, when he swore in his wife of over 50 years, Carolyn Goodman. Oscar Goodman is the official ambassador of Las Vegas, and the chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Host Committee. He is also known as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the United States, and spent 35 years defending alleged Mob figures such as Meyer Lansky, Frank Rosenthal, and Anthony Spilotro. Goodman is the primary visionary and a member of the board of directors of The Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas, which opened in 2012. Goodman was born June 26, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree from Haverford College in 1961 and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1964. That same year he moved to Las Vegas and in 1965 he was admitted to the Nevada State Bar. He served as Clark County?s chief deputy public defender from 1966 to 1967. Goodman was elected as mayor of Las Vegas for the first time in 1999. During his three terms (the legal limit), he contributed to the economic and cultural development of the downtown area by supporting projects such as the arts district and Union Park, a high-rise residential and business project he helped to secure 61 acres of land for. He helped to begin what he called the ?Manhattanization? of downtown, which included the construction of taller buildings for better use of the area?s prime real estate. In this interview, Goodman discusses the role of Judaism in his life, from childhood to adulthood to parenting his own four children. He touches on his involvement with Temple Beth Sholom, including serving as its president, as well as in local development projects like the Lou Ruvo Cleveland Clinic Brain Health Center, Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and Mob Museum. In addition, Goodman discusses the impact of Jewish residents on the city and its development, and mentions leaders in the gaming industry, legal profession and in politics.
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Transcript of interview with Walter John Ritzau by Elizabeth Garrison, February 25, 1977
On February 25, 1977, Walter John Ritzau interviewed Elizabeth Schneehagen Garrison (born 1943 in Las Vegas, Nevada) about her life in Southern Nevada. Garrison first talks about her schooling in Las Vegas and her first homes in Las Vegas. She also discusses the atomic testing, the Devils Hole in Ash Meadows, early church involvement, recreational activities, and some of the environmental aspects of Las Vegas. Garrison later describes her work for the Central Telephone Company before describing the Helldorado parade and some of the early activities designed for children. In the latter part of the interview, she describes her father’s garden, the changes in the city environment and building, shopping locations, and more about her home life.
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Transcript of interview with Christie Young by Dennis McBride, October 18, 1998
I've known Christie Young for many years and was grateful she agreed to be interviewed for the Las Vegas Gay Archives Oral History Project. Not only is she frank in what she says, but her background as a researcher in sexual issues and as a straight woman involved in the gay community give her a unique perspective. Ancillary to her donation of this interview transcript to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Christie has generously donated her personal journals which detail more than a decade of her life including the years she worked with Las Vegas's gay community . Christie shares the project's concern that documentation of the gay community is ephemeral and vanishes rapidly; her determination that her contribution to that community be preserved greatly enriches our knowledge and will benefit future scholars.
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Transcript of interview with Judy Jetter by Lisa Gioia-Acres, September 10, 2008
Judy Jetter, a devout jazz music enthusiast, was born in a Chicago suburb in 1939. At the age of three, Judy began taking acting as well as tap and ballet classes. While raised by her mother until age 15 Judy was forced to study opera even though jazz music was her passion. Her first introduction to jazz came while listening to, legendary jazz great, Woody Herman on the radio. Judy developed an instant appreciation and love for jazz music. While working as a commercial actress during her childhood - Super Circus and Peter Pan peanut butter - Judy experienced live performances by the Stan Kenton Orchestra and was completely amazed. After graduation Judy was married and gave birth to her son. She worked for a movie studio in Chicago doing various jobs such as cleaning the stage, typing scripts, model work, and even playing the role of housewife. Later Judy went to college and earned a degree in psychology, which led to a job as a therapist. However, after remarrying to Bill Jetter, Judy switched careers and soon became an exercise instructor at the YMCA. There she cultivated her passion for working with people who suffered from disabilities. In particular, Judy developed a water regiment specifically designed for people with disabilities. Judy would go on to share her experiences in this field in two subsequent book publications. Unfortunately Judy's husband passed away with cancer. However, Judy found refuge and support from a group of jazz enthusiasts. Alongside her cadre, Judy began really studying how to listen to music. She moved to Las Vegas in 1992 and can often be found at different jazz venues throughout the city. She enjoys the local jazz scene in Las Vegas and making her weekly rounds to take-in Big Band and jazz singers such as Jobell and Terri James, as well as going to see Bruce Harper playing at Bugsy's, and the talented Gus Mancuso performing at the Bootlegger. Judy believes that music, like everything else, has evolved and will continue to mature; however, jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong still remain as the foremost contributors in the long history of jazz music. Her hope is that music and the arts will continue to be offered through education to allow the next generation another "dimension to not only their education but their soul."
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Transcript of interview with Anna Sipl Meyers by Leita Kaldi Davis, February 12, 2012, February 29, 2012, March 27, 2012, April 6, 2012, April 24, 2012, May 3, 2012, May 9, 2012, May 16, 2012, October 19, 2012, November 16, 2012, & December 7, 2012
From concentration to ownership of Las Vegas casinos, Meyers owned the Cashbah and the and Queen of Hearts in downtown Las Vegas. Interview dates: 2/12/2012, 2/29/2012, 3/27/2012, 4/16/2012, 4/24/2012, 5/3/2012, 5/9/2012, 5/16/2012, 10/19/2012, 11/16/2012, 12/7/2012.
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