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UNLV Alumni Journal, Volume 11, Number 5
Volume 11, number 5 edition of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas "The Alumni Journal."
Mixed Content
Interview with Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues, April 10, 2008
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Floyd Jenne interview, April 4, 1976: transcript
From the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas; OH-00944. On April 4, 1976, Gordon Brusso interviewed Floyd L. Jenne (born 1915). The interview discussed Boulder City McGill, as well as Nevada history.
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State of Arizona vs. State of California Proceedings Concerning the Colorado River Usage Dispute
The State of Arizona vs. State of California Proceedings Concerning the Colorado River Usage Dispute collection (1957-1961) contains supplemental documents from the
Archival Collection
Transcript of interview with Jim Bilbray by Jeff van Ee, March 26, 2009
Jim Bilbray served Nevada as member of the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, chief legal counsel in the Clark County Juvenile Court, Nevada State Senator, member of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and is currently on the Board of Governors of the US Postal Service through 2015. Jim was born in Las Vegas on May 19, 1938. Among his most memorable accomplishments is his work for the environment. As a young boy growing up in Las Vegas, he loved the climate. His backyard at the family home on 3rd Street was at the edge of the city so his playground was the desert. These early years led to a lifelong appreciation for the Nevada outdoors. The 1980s and 1990s were historical for Nevada and environmental efforts. The Nevada environmental triumvirate and congressional delegation composed of Jim, Harry Reid and Richard Bryan are widely known for passing significant legislation in this field. They worked closely together, in part, because of their friendship formed while growing up together in Las Vegas. This interview helps put into perspective the pivotal role played by Congressman Bilbray. During his terms as Nevada Senator (1981 - 1987) and US Representative (1987-1995), Jim worked on a number of major public lands issues for Nevada. He helped to defuse the Sagebrush Rebellion, designate additional Forest Service wilderness, protect Red Rock as a National Conservation Area, assign the Spring Mountains as a National Recreation Area, and initiate the legislative effort to establish the Southern Nevada Public Lands Act. Jim currently resides in Las Vegas where an elementary school is named in his honor.
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Myron Martin and Don Snyder interviews, November 30, 2017, December 06, 2017, and March 08, 2018: transcript
Part 1: Interviewed by Stefani Evans. Myron G. Martin, President and CEO, and Donald D. Snyder, Chairman of the Board of Directors, share their memories of the founding of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts from the first non-for-profit foundation formed in 1996. The second iteration led by Snyder in 1999 brought in Martin--former Director of UNLV Performing Arts Center--and created a sustainable business plan for a center for the performing arts that would be accessible geographically and culturally for all segments of Nevada society. Here, Martin and Snyder recall how land, funding, and legislation for The Smith Center depended on the ""power of the project"" and the Snyder-Martin team's ability to overcome skeptics in the public, the Nevada Legislature, the Clark County Commission, the Las Vegas City Council, and the Don Reynolds Foundation. Martin and Snyder satisfied the various requirements for each organization and earned unanimous approval at each stop--in fact, the $50 million donation to The Smith Center was the largest the Don Reynolds Foundation had ever granted largest. That the approvals came on three consecutive days from competing municipal jurisdictions makes the accomplishment even sweeter. Subjects: Las Vegas, NV; Cultural center; Performing arts; The Smith Center for the Performing Arts; The Smith Center; Not-for-profit;; Nevada Legislature; Clark County Commission; Las Vegas City Council; The Don Reynolds Foundation; Fundraising; Planning; Endowment; Part 2: Interviewed by Stefani Evans. Martin, who was the youngest of three boys raised in suburban Houston, Texas, likes to say that in college at the University of North Texas he played for the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers. So he did--as the organist. He earned a Bachelors of Music in piano, organ, and voice and an MBA from Golden Gate University. He came to Las Vegas after a fifteen-year career with the Baldwin Piano Company as executive director of the Liberace Foundation; he later became president of UNLV?s Performing Arts Center and in 1999 he became president of the Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Foundation. Here, Martin and Snyder recall the process whereby they hired architect David Schwarz of Washington, DC, to create The Smith Center's ""timeless, elegant"" look; creating a ""shared vocabulary"" by visiting 14 performing venues in 5 European countries; the City of Las Vegas's RFP that resulted in hiring Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; the exterior art/artists, significance of the bell tower, Founding Fifty(seven), and the ability of the theater to adapt from staging The Book of Mormon to staging a community funeral for two slain police officers. Subjects: The Smith Center; The Smith Center for the Performing Arts; Architecture; Fundraising; Acoustics; Public private partnerships; Request for proposals; Whiting-Turner; Theater Projects Group; vocabulary; Part 3: Interviewed by Stefani Evans. Author Jack Sheehan, joining this third session on The Smith Center in his role as Don Snyder's biographer, explains the way he envisions the place of The Smith Center in the larger context of Las Vegas. Martin and Snyder provide names for the group that grew out of the Call to Action meeting and founded the original Las Vegas Performing Arts Foundation. They share anecdotes of a 2005 trip, wherein they were joined by Las Vegas City Councilman Lawrence Weekly, City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, and consultant to the City of Las Vegas Dan Van Epp to visit City Place and the Kravis Center for Performing Arts in West Palm Beach as an example of a place where a performing arts center was a catalyst for revitalization in an area of underused and underutilized urban land. They discuss opening night, March 10, 2012, /From Dust To Dreams: Opening Night at the Smith Center For The Performing Arts/, which was produced broadcast live on national Public Broadcasting System (PBS) television stations, produced by George Stevens Jr. and directed and produced by Michael Stevens for The Stevens Company; hosted by Neil Patrick Harris; and featuring Jennifer Hudson, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride, Carole King, Arturo Sandoval, Joshua Bell, Mavis Staples, Pat Monahan; American Ballet Theater dancers Marcello Gomes and Luciana Paris; also Broadway performers Brian Stokes Mitchell, Laura Osnes, Cheyenne Jackson, Sherie Rene Scott, Montego Glover, and Benjamin Walker. Martin describes how provisions of Nevada SB235--introduced March 6, 2017, signed into law by Governor Bob Sandoval, and became effective October 1, 2017--for the regulation of ticket sales to an athletic contest or live entertainment event affect The Smith Center ticket sales. They talk of providing 3,600 good construction jobs during the recession, of Discovery Childrens Museum, of future development plans for the entire 61-acre Symphony Park parcel, and of a second capital campaign to increase the endowment to $100 million to enable The Smith Center to be economically sustainable.
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Photographs of Las Vegas Helicopter Tours signs, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Site address: 3712 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign details: The establishment rests in a lot on the western side of the strip adjacent to the airfield, which is utilized for takeoff and landing of the aircraft. The Las Vegas Helicopter facility is also adjacent to and shares a building with a souvenir shop.
Sign condition: Structure 5 Surface 5 Lighting 5
Sign form: Fascia
Sign-specific description: The Las Vegas Helicopter tours facility possesses a quite elaborate wall sign which wraps the fascia of the building. The face of the building looks east. The eastern face is an entablature bordered in with polished gold aluminum raceway lined with incandescent bulbs. In the center of the eastern face of the narrow border transforms into a rectangular face, which juts upward. A giant pan channel representing the American flag occupies the space in the section. The horizontal red and white stripes are painted channels, and the blue field in the upper left- hand corner is a channel itself. The horizontal channels are lined with tubes of neon in a corresponding color. The blue field is bordered in blue neon, with incandescent bulbs in the center of graphically painted stars. The entire flag is bordered in red neon. The entablature below which runs along the entire face of the building plays home to several phrases of different text and designs. The center portion is taken up by a phrase "Las Vegas Helicopters," in black channel letters painted red on the interior. The exterior edge is lined with a border of red neon. The text is also filled with incandescent bulbs. To the left of the main title, smaller black, channel letters filled incandescent bulbs read, "Nightly Strip Rides" in all caps. The raceway deviated from the straight form underneath the secondary text, next to the primary title. On the bottom edge beneath the phrase, the raceway turns into an arrow pointing downward. The incandescent bulbs are still present along this deviation.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Glass
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics; Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The incandescent bulbs inside the text reading "Paris" on the balloon oscillate rapidly.
Sign manufacturer: Sign Systems, Inc
Sign - date of installation: 1996
Sign - thematic influences: There is no real present theme evident in the appearance other than the Emblem of the American flag crafted in neon on the front of the building. The incandescent bulb lined raceways and bulb filled channel letters, placed within a pediment hanging above the pedestrians head, posses a theme in a sense. It is a common occurrence to see such a combination of lighting among the strip to designate an establishment so its theme cold be considered to be that of Las Vegas. It's artistic significance can only be linked to such a trait. It is one of the most unique properties considering its function. Yes there are many facilities which offer tours but, this is the only one which provides helicopter tours that the pedestrian may watch take off. It is also one of the only establishments where the American flag is represented on the exterior in neon. It is also one of the only establishments where the incandescent bulb lined raceway is shaped into arrows. An interesting use of the most common adornment of exterior surveyed signage.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Chasing; Flashing; Oscillating; Fascia; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Glass; Graphics; Paint
Mixed Content
Photographs of Caesars Palace signs, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2002
Site name: Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Site address: 3200 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign owner: Park Place Entertainment
Sign details: Caesars Palace is located between the Flamingo Rd. on the western side of Las Vegas Blvd Caesars has grown over the years since it's opening, but remains the true to its classic form. Signage for the resort is limited compared to some but consists of significant pieces of signage such as two large pylon signs, a rotating sign for Planet Hollywood, building signage consisting of logo text, as well as a porte-cochere. The property itself is an over abundance of classic design form after another, mixed among modern amenities like an Omnimax theatre. Caesars Palace is a permanent icon in Las Vegas Imagery and folklore.
Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 4 Lighting 4
Sign form: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère
Sign-specific description: The YESCO pylon is located at the northern side of the property and is constructed of black painted steel and centers around a base of four columns aligned in a row. The sign faces north/south. The four columns rise out of the ground about six feet in the air before a long horizontal, gold bordered, rounded end cabinet, that reads and points to free covered parking. The text is graphically applied and internally lit. The cabinet is lit from the backside with neon, creating a halo behind the sign. The columns continue upward until they are met with the triangular cabinet, pointing east, with the two faces, being occupied a color LED message center. The interior edge of the face of the sign is bordered with green neon. Above the visible top edge of the wedge shaped message boards, the Caesar's Palace logo if illuminated in red neon upon a rectangular section created out of two entablatures, stacked on top of each other. The top entablature reads "Caesars" in red letters and "Palace" in the second row The two are capped with pediment lined on the interior edge with gold neon and a back-lit Caesar's logo. The exterior of the cabinet is polished aluminum, with metal channel letters. The original pylon built much earlier, utilized six-column shafts capped with golden statuary, secured to a large concrete base. When facing the columns, facing north, or south, the majority of the view of the vertical pieces is taken up by the giant internally lit message center, with removable lettering. The outer edge is crafted the same as the face of the other pylon, but it is bordered in pink neon. The four center columns supports an entablature supporting the logo text, and above that a pediment rounds out the classic architectural combination. The top half of the pediment is larger and supports the text "Caesars," while the lower, narrower section reads "Palace". The entire pediment is striped horizontally with bands of aqua neon that creates a field for the text. The text is in the stylized roman text, in channel letters, and lined with red neon. One of the most attractive pieces of signage is the Caesars porte-cochere. The famous fountains lead up to the main entrance, which is shadowed by the massive porte-cochere, which is one of the few remaining on the strip that displays such grandeur. The Porte-cohere is a hulking collection of levels, stacked upon on another, but grow in size as each level steps upward. The rest looks as if a massive set of plaster steps were turned upside down and placed over the entrance. The edge of each level is lined with brass treatments that are repeated vertical poles of polished brass, greeting a repeated striping pattern. From behind this treatment and pushed further back beyond the human eye, a rose colored glow is produced by intense lighting fades into a soft halo as it dies out toward the edges. The mass and girth of the structure is helped out visually by the angles chosen to in its design. The entire construction seems to sag under it's own weight, for each level is slightly cupped into a concave shape. Each levels edges are concave as well, producing a illusion of movement in space. To the right of the porte-cochere there is still the aqua tinted light pouring out of the latticework, that fills the arcade of arches. On the main tower directly behind the porte-cochere, the red neon logo is present as well as elsewhere on the building as well. Facing east this particular set of letters looms high over head. The section of the building is a vertically elongated temple front, stretching the height of the building. Four pilasters run the vertical length of the building, holding black spans of tinted windows in between. They each are topped with golden Corinthian capitals, which hold up the classic entablature and pediment. "Caesars Palace" is spelled across the entablature in channel letters and filled with red neon. In the pediment above a golden crest of Julius Caesar's profile flanked by two encompassing olive branches. The crest is ambiently lit with white light. The tower just behind the main building also supports text on its east face as well. As the narrow edge of the tower, the vertical plane rises upward but is flat and smooth until it reaches the top section. It is essentially a giant entablature created out of the temple fronts on either side that wrap around to meet on the width. On this flat plane, "Caesars Palace" is spelled in the classic lettering and neon treatment seen on the building letters just below that. The building itself is ambiently lit but the profile of Caesar above the text is not a brightly lit as the other. On the south side of the parking garage, on the western edge of the property, the channel letter logo reads in red neon as well.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic; Masonry
Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The V-shaped red channels on the silver main pylon chase each other downward toward the ground. The main text on the pylon animates as well. The letters light up one at a time with red neon from left to right as the arrows continue to chase downward. The logo/text sign located above the giant replica of the Harley Davidson, animate as well. The incandescent bulbs which fill the text, spelling the name of the establishment, oscillate, steady burn, then shut off, and then restarting the sequence. The letters that spell cafe on the lower portion of the sign animate in concert and with the same sequence as the main text.
Sign environment: Caesars Palace sits in one of the biggest and busiest sections of the strip, and has always been a mainstay. The ambiently lit classic features of architecture seem almost specter like moments, with the blazing red eyes of the Caesars text staring from afar. From the street, the actual structures are set a bit back from the street, seeming rather distant. Construction is currently present around the exterior edges of the property, which rather dampens effect of the theming, but everything shines through. The theme does step out to the street with the statuary, creeping out to pedestrians and the pylon signs. The main signs are street side, pointing toward the casino. Headed south on the west side of the street the two pylon signs lead up to the porte-cochere. Standing underneath the porte-cochere looking out, the fountains provide a picturesque scene to see the other side of the street. The buildings loom high over head. The environment contains elements, which can be seen repeated throughout hotel exteriors. The large water element, the Classic architectural design motif, and the spectacular porte-cochere are still evident in properties built today. Even though Caesars continues to evolve with the current trends, all of these elements were presenting its original design.
Sign manufacturer: Pylon 1: YESCO Pylon 2: Ad Art
Sign - date of installation: 1966, 1998
Sign - date of redesign/move: On-going additions since 1966
Sign - thematic influences: Caesars Palace may be the first themed resort, which has taken its theme to an extreme the likes of which had never been seen before. Ever since it's original inception in 1966, Caesars Palace has sought to give its guest the most of the Ancient Roman theme. Caesars is simply dripping with imagery and architecture that is steeped in the theme of Ancient Rome. No matter where you go there are collections of statuary, domes and columns, false temple fronts create the facades of the towers, and low geometric hedges and cypress trees all add to the theme. Any themed property can draw influence from Caesars Palace, and still stands as one of the highest markers for competitors to be judged by.
Sign - artistic significance: Very important signage that can be seen reflected in many aspects of non-casino culture. Caesars Palace is one of the icons of American popular culture, and the distinctive Romanesque neon is a big reason why.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Pylon; Fascia; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Plastic; Masonry; Paint
Mixed Content
Photographs of Trader Bills sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), April 18, 2017
The Trader Bills gift shop-turned-motorcycle shop sits at 328 Fremont Street inside the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet.
Site address: 328 Fremont St
Sign owner: Marshall Family, LP
Sign details: The current building was constructed in 1943 (Assessor). Trader Bill's was a Western style leather and gift shop (RoadsideArch.com). The business has been located downtown at least since the 1930's or 1940's (UNLV digital photo collection) but possibly longer (Shemeligian, 1997). The store moved to its present location by the 1950's (RoadsideArch.com). It later became the Jewelry Outpost and Las Vegas Harley-Davidson (Shemeligian).
Sign condition: Condition 3-4. Cabinet and lights are in good condition. The paint on the street side of the sign is extremely faded.
Sign form: Blade
Sign-specific description: The metal cabinet is shaped like an upside down "L" which points toward the building. The cabinet is painted red. On the side of the sign facing Las Vegas Boulevard the paint has faded almost completely to reveal the earlier blue paint. An arrow-shaped metal cabinet runs along the Fremont Street side of the sign. The sides of the arrow are painted yellow. Three rows of yellow incandescent light bulbs cover the shaft of the arrow and nine rows cover the feathers and head. "Trader" is spelled out in yellow san serif channel letters which run horizontally across the top of the sign. The interiors of the letters are outlined in white neon tubing. "BILLS" (no apostrophe) runs vertically down the sign in the same channel lettering. Rungs run along the spine of the sign and what appears to be a ladder is located under "Trader" at the top of the sign. A plaque on the back of the arrowhead near the last "S" in "BILLS" has a YESCO logo and states "THIS SIGN IS THE PROPERTY OF THE YOUNG ELECTRIC SIGN COMPANY-{illegible] 876-8080
Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent
Sign - media: Steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Incandescent
Sign environment: This location is in the Fremont Street Experience on the corner of Fremont street and Fourth Street. It is across the street from Neonopolis and surrounded by other gift shops.
Sign manufacturer: It has the YESCO logo and states that it is the property of YESCO though it is not confirmed if they manufactured it.
Sign - date of installation: Circa 1960's
Sign - date of redesign/move: The sign is probably from the 1960's (Roadside Architecture). A photograph circa 1960 shows the sign painted dark blue with yellow letters (Classic Las Vegas, n.d.). A photograph from 1991 shows the color scheme unchanged (Classic Las Vegas). The sign was painted its current red color by 2006 (RoadsideArch.com).
Sign - thematic influences: The building is Western style brick and weeping mortar.
Survey - research locations: Clark County Assessor Classic Las Vegas. (n.d.). A brief history of Fremont Street, North side of the street, Third to Fourth. Retrieved from http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/5/3/a-brief-history-of-fremont-street-cont.html RoadsideArcitecture. Las vegas Signs, Trader Bill's. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas3.html Shemeligian, B. (1997 June 19). Landmark downtown shop changes focus. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved from https://lasvegassun.com/news/1997/jun/09/landmark-downtown-shop-changes-focus/ UNLV Digital Collections. (n.d.). Film transparency showing Trader Bill's souvenir shop in Las Vegas, circa 1930s-1940s. Retrieved from http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1nk2c
Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-14
Sign keywords: Blade; Neon; Incandescent; Steel
Mixed Content