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Transcript of interview with Billy Christ by Lisa Gioia-Acres, October 09, 2007

Date
2007-10-09
Description
William “Billy” Christ, born in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, is an accomplished bass player. His parents, Louis and Estemia Christ, were both from Albania and immigrated to Detroit in 1929. Christ’s father was a restaurant owner and his mother worked alongside his father in the restaurant business. Billy started playing the bass in high school and studied with the Detroit Symphony. Billy decided at an early age that he wanted to become a full-time musician. He attended Wayne University to study music and after two years he decided to join the Gene Krupa Band in New York. While living in New York, Billy had the good fortune to play at historical venues such as Apollo Theater, Copacabana, and Bop City. After only a few years, he left New York to join Lena Horne in San Francisco and then Billy made his way to Las Vegas in 1960. Christ’s first job in Las Vegas was on the strip at the Flamingo with the Russ Black Orchestra. Performing in Las Vegas allowed Billy to gain greater access to talented musicians and the opportunity learn from these virtuosos. As a result, Billy quickly matured into a skillful bass player and ultimately went on to work with legendary greats like Paul Anka, Tony Benett, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. Billy currently lives in Las Vegas and performs weekly at The College of Southern Nevada on Wednesday nights. He has been married to his wife Alene since 1958. When asked about his philosophy on life, Billy responded, “I try not to worry about things and just take it a day at a time and try to be the best person I can be. And play every day.”

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Transcript of interview with Jacob D. Bingham by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White, January 11, 2017

Date
2017-01-11
Description
Jacob David "Jay" Bingham carries the Lincoln County town of Alamo, Nevada, in his heart. The former North Las Vegas City Councilman (1981-84) and Clark County Commissioner (1984-96) presided over fifteen years of Southern Nevada’s explosive urban growth, but he learned about small-town values when he got out of line at Rancho High School with some friends and was sent to live with an uncle in Alamo for his sophomore year. What began as a short-term placement blossomed into a life-long attachment to a rural Nevada place where no gap separated generations; where people looked out for one another; where small classes allowed teachers to accommodate his Attention Deficit Disorder and let him learn at his own pace; where he acquired rodeo skills and became a cowboy, and where he met his wife. But it was in urban Clark County where Bingham spiritually reconnected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and crafted successful careers in politics and construction that significantly and mutually contributed to the way Southern Nevada looks and the way it works. In this interview, he discusses Alamo, his faith, his learning disability, Southern Nevada’s political landscape, his learning curves at the North Las Vegas City Council and the Clark County Commission, comprehensive planning, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and his construction and development business. He recalls heated competition between political kingmakers Kent Oram and Big Jim Joyce; telling Pat Mulroy she was not "tough enough," and the corruption that seemed to define Southern Nevada politics before, during, and after his terms in office.

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Transcript of interview with Howard & Dorothy Cannon by K.J. Evans, September 28, 1998

Date
1998-09-28
Description

On September 28, 1998, K.J. Evans interviewed former United States Senator Howard Cannon (born 1912 in St. George, Utah) about his life and political experiences. Also present were his wife, Dorothy Cannon, his daughter, Nancy Downing, and another participant identified as Caroline Rose. Cannon first talks about his family background and his parents’ occupations before mentioning his involvement in a music band and his pastime of flying aircraft. He then discusses his first political involvement and mentions his work for the Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office. Evans then asks about Cannon’s service with the Air National Guard and his combat experiences during World War II, specifically on D-Day. The interview then moves to a discussion on some of the work Cannon fulfilled as a senator, particularly military-based projects and black projects, and his work in creating Nellis Air Force Base. Evans later asks Cannon questions about his interaction with presidents, his thoughts on the Vietnam War, his support for civil rights, and his politically liberal stance as a lawmaker. Cannon also provides details on his relationships with Senators Walter Baring and Alan Bible, his interaction with Lyndon B. Johnson, and his campaign against Chic Hecht.

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Transcript of interview with Stella Fleming by Suzanne Wright, February 24, 1979

Date
1979-02-24
Description

On February 24, 1979, Suzanne Wright interviewed Stella Fleming (born December 1, 1897 in Victoria, Canada) about her experiences as a Las Vegas, Nevada resident and as a worker in the welfare department in Clark County. Fleming first talks about some of her work in welfare and specifically the early practices of the welfare administration. She also discusses her work as it related to the Works Progress Administration, the American Red Cross, and the Nevada Emergency Relief Program. Fleming also provided some anecdotes about her experiences in that field before moving on to discuss some of the historical aspects of Las Vegas, such as the atomic testing, specific landmarks and locations, and the development of the city.

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Transcript of interview with Janet Garry by Elyse Rozinsky, February 24, 1979

Date
1979-02-24
Description

On February 24, 1979, collector Elyse Rozinsky interviewed file clerk, Janet Garry, (born on November 24th, 1927, in Louisiana) at her home in Bonanza Village Trailer Park in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview covers the growth of Las Vegas from 1952 to 1979. Janet recalls the early years of the television and the telephone. She also discusses her own personal experience of raising a family in Las Vegas.

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Transcript of interview with Patricia Mulroy by Claytee White, November 18, 2013

Date
2013-11-18
Description

Patricia Mulroy served Las Vegas as the general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District from 1989 to 2014. She served the state of Nevada as the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority from 1993 to 2014. Patricia helped to build the Authority, and saw the state through the devastating drought of the Colorado River. Patricia was born in Frankfurt, Germany on February 24, 1953. As a young girl, she lived in several different countries, but always felt that the United States was her home. Her experiences abroad led her to develop a fascination with government work and state service. She arrived in Nevada in 1974 to attend UNLV. In 1989, Patricia became the general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District. She entered the field at a tumultuous time, facing the drought of the Colorado River and tension within the districts. She pioneered the Water Authority, which revolutionized southern Nevada’s water rights system and allowed the districts to deal with the is

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Gwen Weeks Rahner interview, March 06, 1981: transcript

Date
1981-03-06
Description

On March 6, 1981, Laronda D. Tinsley interviewed Gwendolyn Weekes Rahner (born August 14th, 1923 in Atlantic City, New Jersey) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mrs. Rahner discusses working in politics and registering people to vote in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also discusses living in West Las Vegas and her experiences there.

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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

Date
2012-02-12
2012-02-29
2012-03-27
2012-04-06
2012-04-24
2012-05-03
2012-05-09
2012-05-16
2012-10-19
2012-11-16
2012-12-07
Description

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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Transcript of interview with Stan Irwin by Cork Proctor, October 24, 2003

Date
2003-10-24
Archival Collection
Description

Stan Irwin shares details of his background, family, and early show business experiences. His life story spans many decades and includes attending NYU, doing stand-up comedy, flying during WWII, working at Club Bingo in Las Vegas, and building up the entertainment at the Sahara Hotel. Mr. Irwin comments on many aspects of the Las Vegas entertainment scene. He recalls many headliners that he worked with and shares anecdotes about several. The Beatles, Johnny Carson, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Lena Home, and Pearl Bailey are just a few of the many outstanding performers that he brought to Las Vegas. Stan offers comments on racism in Las Vegas thirty and forty years ago, and gives his opinions on the Mob, Howard Hughes, prostitution, and dress codes in the fifties and sixties, among other things. He recalls how Las Vegas looked in the early days, mentions a cardiovascular health project for children that he's involved with today, and gives a little insight into staying fit at eighty-plus.

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Transcript of interview with Amber Allan by David Schwartz, December 21, 2016

Date
2016-12-21
Description

Amber Allan grew up in West Virginia and moved to Las Vegas at the age of 16. She entered the gaming industry in 2000 as a change person at Arizona Charlie’s Boulder where she later held the positions of floorperson and assistant shift manager. Allan would eventually move to Santa Fe Station in 2005 as relief shift manager, later to the Texas Station as a shift manager, and then to Palace Station in 2008 into the slot operations and technical manager role. She then returned to Texas Station at the end of 2008 as director of slot operations and then moved to Aliante Station into the same role in 2009. Allan started at Konami Gaming, Inc. in 2012 where she has worked as an analyst, product specialist, and, currently, as technical sales executive. The interview with Allan begins with her discussion of moving to Las Vegas and the experiences and roles she held as she started in the gaming industry. She discusses the various responsibilities she had in those roles, the types of skills required for them, and the kinds of disputes that are handled in certain supervisory positions. Allan also mentions and discusses the topic of hold percentage as it relates to slot and video poker players. She later describes her philosophy on what makes a good slot floor and also what customers are looking for in slots. Allan then provides the details of her move to the manufacturing side of the slot industry, and she gives her thoughts on what makes both a good and bad slot manager. The interview then shifts to the discussion of free slot play; ticket-in, ticket-out; changes in slot management; and the future of slot machines. The interview concludes with Allan’s discussion of her personal gambling as well as her advice for young people who want to go into the slot industry.

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