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Ernest Oon oral history interview
Oral history interview with Ernest Oon conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on February 16, 2023 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Oon recalls his childhood in Singapore, where his father worked on the Health and Sports Council for the Singaporean Government and his mother worked as a television assistant producer. Growing up, Oon recalls being very active, participating in everything from soccer to Tae Kwon Do. In an effort to continue his education without being being interrupted by Singapore's civil service program, Oon applied to college in the United States and ended up attending California State University. Although he was on the medicine track in Singapore, he switched to finance. After a series of jobs within credit banking, he is now a chief credit officer for Bank of Nevada. Throughout the interview, Oon reflects on the changes in his life living in different places, the street food from Singapore, and his unique tennis game.
Archival Collection
Sandra Gray oral history interview
Oral history interview with Sandra Gray conducted by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach on December 13, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Dr. Gray discusses her family history, and describes how her parents are immigrants from Durango, Mexico and moved from East Los Angeles, California to East Las Vegas, Nevada in 1991. After getting her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) she started a behavioral health agency that provided rehabilitative mental health services to children primarily in the foster care system. She went on to earn a master's degree in mental health counseling, a master's in psychology, and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. She is the founder of Empower LV, which strives for equitable access to sports and tutoring. Dr. Sandra Gray is also the owner and operator of Innovation Behavioral Health Solutions, LLC.
Archival Collection
Cedric Crear oral history interview, 2025 April 15
Oral history interview with Cedric Crear conducted by Stefani Evans, Claytee D. White, and Bethany Dayton on April 15, 2025 for the Game On! An Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview Cedric Crear, member of the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, begins by discussing how his parents moved to Las Vegas, Nevada coming from Los Angeles, California. He was born in Las Vegas in 1969, growing up in the Historic Westside and attending Bishop Gorman High School. During this time, he spent a lot of time playing tennis, and his mother installed a tennis court in their backyard during the early 1980s. After graduating from Bishop Gorman, Crear went to Howard University on a tennis scholarship and spent all four years at Howard playing tennis. After graduating and returning to Las Vegas, he began working for Station Casinos. Initially starting in the Sportsbook, he moved into management and marketing, spending ten years at Station Casinos before leaving to start his own advertisement firm.
He recalls his first run for public office in 2004, running for State Senate against Steven Horsford. Their campaigns were marketed as Station Casinos versus the Culinary Union, and Cedric lost. He was determined to keep running and ran for the Board of Regents in 2006 and 2012, winning both terms. He stayed with the Board of Regents until he was asked to be the representative for Ward 5 in the City Council in 2016. After a special election, he was elected to the position of City Councilman for Ward 5 temporarily, winning the permanent seat a year and a half later. He then served as the Councilman for Ward 5 until 2024, when he ran for Las Vegas Mayor. He details the various plans and actions that were put into motion during his time as Councilman, including the HUNDRED Plan, a revitalization project for the Historic Westside. Since taking a step back from public office, he continues to run his advertising firm and currently serves as Vice President for Onda Affordable Housing Group. He concludes the interview by reminiscing about how much he loves Las Vegas, and how he still lives in his childhood home on the Historic Westside. Digital audio and transcript available.
Collection Name: Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports Interviews
Box/Folder: Digital File 00
Archival Component
Transcript of interview with Richard Steele and Zakeisha Steele-Jones by Claytee White, February 12, 2015
Richard Steele became interested in professional boxing at a young age when he was introduced to world champion boxers Chalky Wright and Sugar Ray Robinson. He trained at Hoover Street Gym in South Central, Los Angeles, with trainer Eddie Futch. Richard joined and boxed for the United States Marine Corps and became Marine Corps Middleweight Champion in 1963. Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1944 Richard and his family moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1950s. His father was a bartender and his mother was an elevator operator. During the interview Richard’s daughter Zakeisha Steele-Jones discusses the various job titles her father has held, including professional actor and campus police officer. Most notably, Richard was the second Black professional referee in both Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. A profound interview heralding key character traits, such as, perseverance, resilience, strength, and determination, Richard recalls being personally invited by Nelson Mandela to referee the WBC Convention in South Africa. Some of Richard’s most memorable title fights to date include, the Hearns and Hagler fight, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, and four Mike Tyson fights. Zakeisha also interjects that her father currently manages and owns a boxing gym where he trains and mentors young Black and Hispanic aspiring boxing champions and referees.
Text
#66336: Professional Golf Management Meet with PGA CEO Sternaka, Joe and President Whitcomb, Brian, 2008 May 01
Collection Name: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Creative Services Records (2000s)
Box/Folder: N/A
Archival Component