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Transcript of interview with Milton I. Schwartz by Claytee White, May 4, 2004
In this interview, Milton Schwartz discusses his life in Las Vegas and his business investments. He worked at the Flamingo Hotel right after World War II, and he started Valley Hospital as an investor in 1970. Schwartz has a Hebrew academy named after him in Israel, and owned the Yellow-Checker-Star Cab Company. He was active in the Republican Party.
Milton I. Schwartz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the Army the day after Pearl Harbor (age 20) and did a five year stint in the Pacific as a repeater specialist. After the war he returned to his job as a refrigeration mechanic in Brooklyn and was soon offered a job out in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel, which was owned by Bugsy Siegel. After three months in Las Vegas, during which time he had several conversations over dinner with Beldon Cattleman, Milton returned to New York to work with his father in the fixture business. After ten years he sold that business and bought into Design Equipment Construction, which brought him back to Las Vegas. Milton started or bought many businesses over the years, but the one he's proudest of is Valley Hospital. He and his partners brought the first medical helicopters into Nevada and he feels that many lives were saved because of that. He also invested in Yellow-Checker-Star Cab Company, which he still owns. Two on-going concerns that are important to Milton are his involvement with the Republican Party and the Milton I. Schwartz Hebrew Academy in Israel. Of the many awards and plaques he has earned over the decades, he is proudest of the birthday acknowledgements from the Academy. He believes strongly that the most important achievements of his life revolve around his religion and the children being educated in it. Milton shares many stories, facts, descriptions, and anecdotes about Las Vegas in the decades since 1946. He built a house in the Scotch 80's, contributes to UNLV, and approves of city growth and the proposed changes in the downtown area. He has contributed much to the growth and stability of the Las Vegas valley.
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Hecht, Mel, Rabbi
Rabbi Mel Hecht was born July 8, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of five, his family moved to Miami, Florida where they had a large, extended Jewish family, complete with relatives who were hazzans and mohels. Soon after moving to Florida, his parents bought a hotel in Hialeah, a city 10 miles outside of Miami, where Hecht spent the remainder of his childhood.
Person
Hecht, Mel, Rabbi
Rabbi Mel Hecht was born July 8, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of five, his family moved to Miami, Florida where they had a large, extended Jewish family, complete with relatives who were hazzans and mohels. Soon after moving to Florida, his parents bought a hotel in Hialeah, a city 10 miles outside of Miami, where Hecht spent the remainder of his childhood.
Person
Arthur Marshall oral history interview
Oral history interview with Arthur Marshall conducted by Claytee D. White on February 11, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview Arthur Marshall discusses meeting his wife Jayn, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, and running a clothing store with his brother-in-law. He also discusses serving as President of Temple Beth Sholom, being instrumental in the formation of the Anti-Defamation League, being a member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and spending twelve years on the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Archival Collection
Joni and Yvonne Fried oral history interview
Oral history interview with Joni and Yvonne Fried conducted by Barbara Tabach on February 17, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Joni and Yvonne discuss their upbringing and growing up in a family full of musicians. They describe living in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the late 1950s. Joni and Yvonne talk about their parents' bakery business, Freed’s Bakery, and franchising the business throughout the city. Later, Joni and Yvonne discuss being Jewish in Las Vegas and attending Hebrew school at Temple Beth Sholom. Joni recalls working at the bakery and Yvonne talks about becoming a physician. Lastly, Joni and Yvonne describe Freed’s being recognized as one of the best bakeries in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Bob Fisher oral history interview
Oral history interview with Robert Fisher conducted by Barbara Tabach on January 08, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Fisher discusses his childhood in Minnesota, and the large role Judaism played in his upbringing. He speaks at length about his involvement with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism over the years, including as regional director of the United Synagogue Youth Far West Region, which took him from Minnesota to California. He talks about his time in Los Angeles, California, and later, about his life in Las Vegas, Nevada, including his broadcasting career as well as involvement with Midbar Kodesh Temple.
Archival Collection
Freddy Fender recordings, 1979 to 1980
Fender talks about politics, illegal immigration, taxes, money management, hard work, and religion.
Fender discusses his past mistakes, his religious views, his birth name, racism in the U.S., his experience in prison, race relations of that era, his opinion of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), his views on capital punishment, the growing country music culture in Austin, Texas, his new album titled Yours, and the love of his fans.
Collection Name: Arnold Shaw Interviews and Performance Recordings
Box/Folder: Digital File 00
Archival Component