In just the past year, Las Vegas has seen the Las Vegas Aces claim a second consecutive WNBA title, the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, a Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, and the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix race down the Strip. Professional athletics are having a moment in the Entertainment Capital of the World, and 性视界传媒鈥檚 Oral History Research Center (OHRC) wants to capture the story of how we got here.
Under the direction of Claytee White and project manager Stefani Evans, the OHRC is launching a new two-year project, Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports.
鈥淭he national spotlight is shining on Las Vegas, but it鈥檚 important to remember that sports didn鈥檛 start here with the construction of Allegiant Stadium,鈥 said White, who is the founding director of the OHRC, which is part of Special Collections & Archives in the University Libraries. 鈥淲e have a long history of athletes and sports teams 鈥 professional, college, high school, amateur and everything in between. This is the perfect time to document these stories for future generations.鈥
Game On! will collect oral histories from the people who shaped sports in Las Vegas, from the earliest teams and dreamers to the champion teams and the proliferation of professional sports teams in the city.
鈥淥ur goal is to collect around 140 oral histories over the course of the project,鈥 said Sarah Quigley, director of 性视界传媒 Special Collections & Archives. 鈥淭hese first-hand accounts will enhance our extensive oral history collection, which includes nearly 5,000 interviews with individuals who have called Las Vegas and Southern Nevada home.鈥
The center plans to conduct interviews covering hockey, football, baseball, softball, mixed martial arts, motorsports, tennis, basketball, rugby, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, poker, boxing, rodeo, golf, running, rodeo, esports, and more.
鈥淭he Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the American Gladiators, American Ninja Warrior, and so many more sports entertainment franchises have competed in Las Vegas,鈥 said Evans. 鈥淐ollectively they are part of our city鈥檚 history and this project will ensure these stories that show off the different parts of our culture are preserved in Special Collections & Archives.鈥
Game On! oral histories will be transcribed, digitized and made available to researchers and interested parties around the world through the 性视界传媒 Special Collections & Archives Portal. Any additional donated documents, manuscript collections, or photographs will also be made available to the public through Special Collections and Archives in 性视界传媒's Lied Library.
The project is launching with an initial $30,000 gift from a private donor. The Center is seeking additional funding to support the project over the next two years. Gifts to the project will be used to hire additional staff to support logistics and editing, transcribe and print copies of the oral histories, and process and make the interviews available and findable online.
Those interested in making a tax deductible donation to support the Game On! project are asked to visit the and direct their gift to the Oral History Research Center.
White and Evans have begun scheduling interviews, but are seeking suggestions on individuals to interview. Do you know someone whose story should be included in the project? Nominate them or contact the Oral History Research Center at 702-895-2222.
If you鈥檙e interested in learning more about the project, or follow updates on the work,
