The Wayne C. Kodey Photographs (1971-2010) consist of 35mm and medium format photographic negatives, positives, and slides featuring the work of former Las Vegas Review-Journal staff photographer Wayne C. Kodey. The photographs include assignments for the Review-Journal and other publications documenting sporting events, entertainment, and general news and special interest stories throughout the Las Vegas Valley and southern Nevada. The collection also contains Kodey’s off-assignment photographic work, which consists of national parks, railroads, landscapes of the Mojave Desert and southwestern United States, and family travels.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Susan Lowe Shlisky conducted by Claytee D. White on November 23, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Shlisky describes growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada after moving with her family at the age of five. She describes working at the Sahara Hotel from a young age, eventually working in the pit on the casino floor. She then moved on to long career working at the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor. After travelling for work, Shlisky retired to Las Vegas and describes her involvement with local theatre productions, Jewish organizations, and the Girl Scouts.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sandra Stupak conducted by Claytee D. White on October 12, 2020 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Stupak describes her early life in a rural town outside of Melbourne, Australia. While working at radio station in Melbourne, Sandra met her future husband, Bob Stupak, and the couple eventually relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. Sandra describes the process of acquiring funding, gaming licenses, and eventually opening Vegas World in 1979 and the Stratosphere in 1996. The couple eventually divorced, but remained friends until Bob Stupak passed away in 2009.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Richard W. Dieleman conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on October 21, 2025 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Dieleman describes his childhood and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada at age two so his father could work on building Hoover Dam. He recalls growing up in Boulder City, people watching on Fremont Street, and the yearly Helldorado parades. His father later started Jake's Crane and Rigging, which led Dieleman to work primarily in crane operation services. As a teenager and young adult, he recalls helping his father with work at Area 51. The work was top secret and Dieleman remembers seeing the SR-71 "Blackbird" flying in and out. After years of working for his father's company, Dieleman started his own crane company in the 1980s. He recalls helping work on the Sahara Hotel, Fremont Street, and Paris Hotel. He discusses some notable construction companies in Las Vegas, including Las Vegas Paving, Wells Cargo, and JA Tiberti. The interview concludes with Dieleman talking about the rapid expansion of Las Vegas. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Homero "Alex" Garza and Crisanta "Cris" Marshall conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on October 28, 2025 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, the two siblings describe their childhood and experience as children of immigrants living in Nevada. Cris, born in Ojinaga, Mexico, and Alex, born in Bunkerville, Nevada lived with their parents, who immigranted to Nevada when Cris was young, to work on ranches in Bunkerville, Hiko, and Alamo, Nevada. Their father, a hardworking and educated man who ran successful businesses in Mexico, eventually built and ran a corner store and gas station. The two recall that growing up in a small town in the 1970s was difficult, and they faced many obstacles and discrimination during their upbringing. They talk about how their parents instilled a strong work ethic in all of their children. Alex worked as both a special education teacher and real estate agent, while Cris spent over fifteen years as an emergency phone operator for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. They are both extremely grateful for the opportunities their parents gave them, and both admire them fondly. At the time of the interview, both siblings live in Las Vegas and are active in their community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frances R. Peterson conducted by Claytee D. White on October 24, 2025 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Peterson describes her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri and Davenport, Iowa. At the age of nineteen, she relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada where she worked at Sunrise Hospital from 1974 to 2008. She recalls watching the hospital expand from its initial single building, and helping implement the computer system at the hospital. Peterson also enjoys entertainment, and frequents the Smith Center for ballet and other performances. She describes how entertainment and the arts have expanded in the city, including the Arts District. Peterson currently spends time volunteering in the community, with organizations such as the Center for Spiritual Living, AARP, and the Nevada Cinemaniacs. Her goal for each year is to do twenty-five new things.
Archival Collection
Merald “Bubba” Knight Jr. was proudly born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. A longstanding member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, Bubba has been performing since he was ten years old. Bubba’s wife Kathleen also joins the interview, retelling her early life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Oral history interview with Merald "Bubba" Knight Jr. and Kathleen Knight conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on October 24 and November 13, 2025 for the American Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Bubba, a longstanding member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, recalls his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. His wife, Kathleen, recalls her early like in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Together, they tell the story of Bubba's life from early childhood, to peak Gladys Knight and the Pips fame, raising children, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Bubba shares stories about various musicians including BB King, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Fats Domino.
Archival Collection
This collection is unprocessed. See Access Note for more information. The John Irsfeld Professional Papers [UNPROCESSED] (approximately 1970-2010) consist of materials documenting the career of novelist and former English professor John H. Irsfeld. The papers include published and unpublished creative works, correspondence, and research files pertaining to Irsfeld’s literary career, as well as teaching materials and correspondence from his time as an English professor and administrator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Judy Bowen conducted by Claytee D. White on August 11, 2025 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Bowen describes her early childhood before transitioning, and life in Virginia, Tennessee, New York, and eventually Las Vegas, Nevada. Bowen recalls working in New York clubs that included the Tango Palace and the Commodore owned by Donald Trump. She was able to invest in real estate, operated a newspaper, owned a restaurant, and was the first women elected president of the Long Island Lions Club. In Las Vegas, she was elected president of her Spring Valley Home Owners Association and worked on the production staff of the Flamingo Hotel and remains active in her community.
Archival Collection
The David Schmoeller Papers (approximately 1979 to 2019) contain materials related to his time as a University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Film Department professor and award-winning film director. Materials include Spring Flicks Festival and UNLV Short Film archive documentation and film submissions, books related to directing, and course syllabi and handouts. The papers also contain copies of some of his many films including Puppet Master, Little Monsters, Please Kill Mr. Kinski, and Crawlspace, as well as some related promotional material. Also included in the collection are scripts written by Schmoeller, fellow faculty member Sean Clark, and graduate students. The born-digital materials remain unprocessed but are likely short film submissions.
Archival Collection
