Search Results

Oral history interview with Paula Sadler conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on January 28, 2025 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Sadler describes arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada as a teenager with her mother from California. After graduating from Green Valley High School in 1994, she enrolled at Rollers Institute of Cosmetology in Commercial Center, and graduated as a manicurist. She then recalls renting a space in a salon before opening her own salon, A Harmony Nail Spa, in Commercial Center in 2004. In this interview, she discusses forming a business owners' association in 2007, cleaning up Commercial Center, and the original vision of Commercial Center by its original owners and developers, E. Parry Thomas and Jerome Mack. She describes the public ownership of Commercial Center's parking lots and sidewalks and the Clark County Commission's relationship with the property.

Oral history interview with Paulette Morris conducted by Claytee White on January 06, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Morris opens her interview by discussing traveling around the world as a child due to her father's career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Morris then talks about the school system in Morocco and how it gave her the opportunity to study ballet. She describes her audition process with the Paris, France based revue, the Folies Bergere. Morris discusses the Bluebell Girls, Margaret Kelly ("Madame Bluebell"), costumes, and the show schedule. Morris then recalls dancing in the Lido show at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, and her experiences in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1960s. She ends the interview discussing her return to school, her job in retail, and her final thoughts on her experiences with the Bluebell Girls.

Oral history interview with Jon Cobain conducted by Claytee D. White on March 4, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Cobain describes his childhood growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada and living in a trailer while his father built the family's home. Cobain is the first graduate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), as he walked across the stage first, thus becoming the first to receive a degree from UNLV. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business, Cobain attended Northwestern for graduate school. He discusses time spent working in Venezuela, and the value of learning other cultures and building international relationships. At the time of the interview, Cobain is matching gifts to the Jon Cobain Lee Business School at UNLV up to $2.3 million to help first-generation scholars. Other subjects discussed include the Nevada Test Site, Frank Sinatra, and Hoover Dam.

Oral history interview with Beverly Mathis conducted by Claytee D. White on July 20, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Mathis discusses her early life in Trenton, Tennessee. She talks about experiencing discrimination, the importance of voting, and attending the University of Tennessee at Martin. Mathis describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1976 and being an African American elementary teacher at the time. Lastly, Mathis discusses her thoughts on education in Nevada.

Oral history interview with Pete Berger conducted by David Schwartz on June 14, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Pete Berger discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 after serving in the United States Air Force in California. He talks about his career working as a pit boss at over a dozen Las Vegas casinos , other positions he held, and the people he met throughout his career.

Oral history interview with Mike Hines conducted by Perry Kaufman on an unknown date in 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview, Hines discusses his early life in Kewanna, Indiana; education, military service, and his eventual move to Las Vegas, Nevada to work as a city attorney. After passing the Nevada Bar Exam in 1950, Hines opened his law office located on the northeast corner Third Street and Fremont Street.

Oral history interview with Paul Steelman conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on August 24, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Steelman discusses his early life and initial interests in architecture. He talks about arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987, working with architect Joel Bergman, and designing the Mirage with Steve Wynn. Steelman remembers opening up his architecture firm, Steelman Partners LLP, and the properties they have built in Las Vegas.