Oral history interview with Gary Porter conducted by Stefani Evans on April 26, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Porter discusses his early life in Oklahoma. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1970 as a new accountant, and his employment at the Hughes Corporation. He talks about the growth of Las Vegas, the charter market in Las Vegas during the late 1970s, and joining Hughes Aviation in 1977. Lastly, Porter describes the evolution of the aviation industry, and explains the work Hughes Aviation does to service airplanes.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Julie Cleaver conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on May 19, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Cleaver discusses her early life in Durham, North Carolina. Cleaver talks about attending Ohio State University, studying landscape architecture, and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993. She describes master planning for the Green Valley area, master planned communities in Summerlin, and making changes to home design criteria. Lastly, Cleaver talks about the future of Summerlin master planned communities.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Julian Eusebio conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Jerwin Tiu, and Stefani Evans on June 01, 2022 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Eusebio discusses his childhood in the Philippines countryside, helping his parents farm and harvest rice. After moving to Manila for college, Eusebio studied architecture and illustrated for comics and magazines. After moving to Los Angeles, California, Eusebio started a construction business, doing landscapes and constructing swimming pools for celebrities such as Michael Jackson. In 1992, he opened another branch in Las Vegas, Nevada. After retiring in 2010, Eusebio took up painting again and cites his favorite artists as Norman Rockwell and Rembrandt. In the remainder of the interview, he discusses his drawing process and how he started showing his artwork throughout the Las Vegas Clark County Library District.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alex Kang conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on October 4, 2022 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Kang discusses his childhood moving back and forth between Pusan, South Korea and America as his parents sought the best place to raise their children. Kang recalls the multitude of endeavors he has heavily invested in since he was young, from moving to Brazil to pursue his interests in soccer to practicing golf every single day in his youth. Kang attended San Diego State University on a scholarship to play golf and majored in math. He got involved in a party bus business, honed his golf skills, and decided to learn how to count cards at the casino. Kang moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013. Throughout the rest of the interview, Kang discusses how he organizes extravagant events, including an event hosting the popular K-Pop group BTS in Las Vegas, his golfing career, and enjoying his life surrounded by his family.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Siegfried Haderly conducted by Stefani Evans on October 30, 2024 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Haderly recalls his childhood in Manila, Philippines until his parents separated, his mother's move to the United States, and Haderly's move to join her in Las Vegas, Nevada after graduating high school. He describes working first as a dishwasher, and then as a busboy for various hotel/casinos including the Sahara, Desert Inn, and Sands. He then was hired as a bartender and joined the Bartenders Union Local 165 and has been a union member ever since. He shares his experience serving two years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, and then moving to St. Paul, Minnesota and starting a family. Haderly describes his eventual return to Las Vegas in the 1990s, retiring, and his year-long trips back to the Philippines, and working part-time for family members. At the time of his 2024 interview, Siegfried Haderly was employed as a canvasser for Culinary Workers Union Local 226.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jill DeStefano conducted by Stefani Evans on January 19, 2024 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, DeStefano describes growing up in Long Beach, California and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006 with her husband. DeStefano became interested in helping protect the 13,000 acres of land near her home of Aliente, and became a member of the founding board of "Protectors of Tule Springs." In this interview, she talks about the role the recession had on their work; engaging the public in the project; the stakeholders with whom they negotiated; the tours they conducted; and the legislation passed through Title 30 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in December of 2014 creating the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rejoyce Williams conducted by Claytee D. White on June 12, 1996 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Williams discusses coming to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and six children in 1960, working in several positions at hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, and participating in the Culinary Union strike in 1970.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Robert D. Howell conducted by Joe Sant on February 26, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Howell discusses growing up in Nevada, the early above ground atomic tests, local environmental and social changes, the economic landscape, the Mormon Fort, religious beliefs, local recreation, and air pollution.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Stella Iaconis conducted by Gary Gione on February 26, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Iaconis talks about seeing the above-ground atomic tests in Southern Nevada from Los Angeles, California and the drastic population growth that occurred after the construction of Boulder (Hoover) Dam.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Darlene Kelly conducted by David P. Wiser on March 16, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Kelly discusses how she first arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada and her occupational history. Kelly goes on to describe the Stewart Ranch, as well as the social environment of the 1940s and 1950s in Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
