Oral history interview with Dr. Marshall Darnell conducted by Cynthia Johnson on November 07, 2001 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Darnell reflects upon his more than 30-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Clark County School District (CCSD) from 1960 to 1994. Darnell describes his approach to school administration, job duties as principal, and some of the biggest challenges that he faced. He discusses school integration and efforts to promote student diversity, as well as the increasing number of women administrators within CCSD.
Archival Collection
Dennis Ortwein arrived in Las Vegas in 1956. He shares many details about growing up in Montana, his parents and siblings, his education, and the moment in time when he was offered an opportunity to work in Las Vegas. He also lays out the path his singing career took, starting with school plays, duets with his sister, and high school quartets. Once in Las Vegas, Dennis taught for a while, served as principal, and was involved in creating programs that helped integrate schools. He also talks about his church choir work, entertainment in early Las Vegas, above-ground testing at the Nevada Test Site, and anti-nuclear protests. Dennis served as lab school and student teaching coordinator in Nigeria. He offers several anecdotes and stories about the time he and his family spent there. After retiring early (age 53), Dennis acted as consultant to the Esmeralda County school board, executive director for the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and wrote a book. He is currently enjoying his singing career by appearing at conventions, in musicals, and at weddings and memorials.
Text
From the Nye County, Nevada Photograph Collection (PH-00221) -- Series III. Beatty, Nevada -- Subseries III.G. Reidhead Family. Back row, left to right: Shirley Gibbens, Jeanette Poland, Claudia Davies, Mary Lu Bright, teacher Irma Cunningham, Georgina Shirley, Esther Ray McCann, Rowina McLean and Jean Bacoccina. Front row, left to right: Robert Bright, Virginia Revert, Sherry Looney, Julia Landis, Jimmy Shoshone, (?), (?), Tilford Landis.
Image
Oral history interview with Gene Noboru Nakanishi conducted by Ayrton Yamaguchi, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on April 2, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Gene Nakanishi shares his detailed family history from both his father's and his mother's families. He discusses his paternal grandfather's work on the Union Pacific Railroad, the family's internment in Wyoming during World War II, and his father's release from the camp by joining the United States Army Signal Corps. Nakanishi also talks of his maternal grandfather who was of the Bushido ("warrior") class in Osaka, Japan, and his grandfather's work with Christian missionaries. He shares details of his mother's restaurant employment in Los Angeles and her opening of Osaka Japanese Bistro in Las Vegas in 1969. Nakanishi also talks about being born and raised in Las Vegas, his musical schooling at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and his graduate education at Harvard University. He discusses his work as a band teacher for the Clark County School District, his involvement in the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program band camp, and his interests in jazz music.
Text
From the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas collection OH-01063. On February 26, 1980, Nancy Bright interviewed school teacher, Patricia Lappin (born April 14th, 1924 in Denver, Colorado) at Robert L. Taylor Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada. The interview covers Boulder City, Nevada around Hoover Dam. The two discuss the different gambling habits between Southern Nevada locals and Las Vegas tourists. During the latter half of the interview, the two speak at length about the impact of nuclear waste on Nevada. Lappin explains the unique issues that Southern Nevada faces as one of three states to accept nuclear waste.
Text
Person
Person
Oral history interview with Dr. Jolene Wallace conducted by Cynthia Smith on October 12, 2009 for the Public School Principalship Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Wallace reflects upon her career as a teacher and administrator in Dayton, Ohio. She reflects upon some of her favorite programs in the school, such as school lock-ins. She then describes her philosophy of education and school administration, her working relationships with students and teachers, her typical responsibilities, and challenges with instances of school violence. She also discusses what she believes makes a successful school administrator, and why she believes she was a successful principal.
Archival Collection
Text
Oral history interview with Gertrude Klanderund conducted by Barbara Clark on June 17, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Klanderund discusses being an educator in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as her experiences living in Henderson and Caliente, Nevada.
Archival Collection
