We're sure you could muster a few memories about your Rebel days. For the university's 50th anniversary celebration in 2007-08, the Oral History Research Center is turning its focus to UNLV. The center is seeking stories from all areas of university life.
"All that's needed to be interviewed is longevity, a good memory, and great stories," says Claytee White, center director.
Bruce Layne, an early UNLV student, told his story about earning such poor grades that he was asked not to return to school. But baseball coach Michael "Chub" Drakulich believed in him. "It was as if someone turned the light back on when he told me he wanted me back and that he would give me a scholarship," Layne said. He cites Drakulich's support as one of the major reasons that he got his degree ('69 BS Economics) and became a successful insurance broker and UNLV donor.
History professor Tom Wright remembered what the campus was like when he was 14. His father, John, was a young professor, and there were few buildings. "Classes were taught wherever space could be found," the younger Wright remembers.
As primary-source documents, the interviews will complement the official UNLV history book that professor Eugene Moehring is writing. The recording of all of the interviews will be completed by May, when Moehring's narrative history is slated for unveiling.
The center is also recording sessions with community members for the Boyer Early Las Vegas History Project.
