Welcome to the final episode of the Women Who Saved History Project with Su Kim Chung and Claytee White! Today, we are reflecting on this project we have put together and discussing some key points. You’ll hear all about the interviews we have done, and we even discuss a few women we wished we could’ve included in these interviews, but unfortunately couldn’t. Finally, we thank some people who have helped us put this podcast together. Our goal throughout this podcast has been to highlight the women who have been so instrumental in collecting and preserving the history of Nevada. Thank you for joining us. We hope this inspires you to continue highlighting the work women do in our society and to keep collecting history!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming listeners to the last episode of the Women Who Saved History.
• A list of women we couldn’t interview who were impactful in Nevada’s history.
• Looking back on our interviews and the incredible women we’ve spoken to.
• Thanking the team who has put together this podcast.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Elizabeth Patrick

Dorothy Wright

Sue Fawn Chung

In Pursuit of Gold

Jeanne Wier

Effie Mona Mack

Anna Roberts Parks

Nevada Historical Society

Anna Dean Kepper

Elizabeth Warren

Jean Ford

Ellen Knowlton

Heidi Swank

Alicia Barber

Sherry Rupert

Mary Gibson

Joanne Goodwin

Mary Palevsky Granados

Lynn Zook

Marlene Adrian

Claytee White
Su Kim Chung

Denise R Duarte

Erica Vital-Lazare

Women of Diversity Productions Inc.
Nevada Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities

Caesars Entertainment

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From showgirls to scholars, Su Kim Chung has dedicated her career to keeping Nevada’s history alive! In this episode of the Women Who Saved History, our very own Su Kim is opening up

about how her love of history led to her career as an archivist and educator. Tuning in, you’ll

hear all about Su Kim’s work, how it has been used in Nevada, her work with Jerry Jackson and

the Mesquite Club, some of the challenges she faced, her series Fishnets and Spotlights, and

so much more! We also delve into why she decided to obtain her Ph.D. while working full-time, and how she uses social media to reach students and keep them engaged in history. Finally, Su Kim tells us about the article she’s writing about AAPI performers in Las Vegas with her colleague Tammi Kim. You don’twant to miss this captivating conversation, so press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Su Kim Chung tells us about her role in preserving the history of Nevada.
• A brief overview of Su Kim’s education, family life, and what inspired her to be a librarian.
• How her work has been used in Nevada by both historians and residents.
• Su Kim tells us about the work she did with the choreographer, Jerry Jackson.
• Some of the challenges she has faced over the years in doing this work.
• Why she loves teaching so much, and a bit about her series, Fishnets and Spotlights.
• What has surprised Su Kim in terms of her ability to succeed in this work.
• Some unique circumstances that led to her success in Nevada.
• Su Kim tells us about one of her first collections, the Papers of the Mesquite Club.
• Why Su Kim decided to go back to school during her work to get a Ph.D.
• How Su Kim reaches students and keeps them engaged in history via social media.
• Su Kim tells us about her article on AAPI performers, particularly George Lee.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Su Kim Chung

Su Kim Chung on LinkedIn

Su Kim Chung on Orcid

Su Kim Chung Harper Collins Publishers

Su Kim Chung SAA

Su Kim Chung Books on Goodreads

Nevada Week in Person S1E61 Su Kim Chung

The Importance of Libraries and Access to Information

UNLV Libraries Post

LISAA Board Bios

Las Vegas Then and Now

‘Bookend: Vintage Vegas’

Claytee White

UNLV

UNLV Special Collections & Archives

UNLV Special Collections & Archives Portal

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Imagine walking into a boarded-up courthouse, its windows gone and walls crumbling, and having the opportunity to help bring it back to life. In this episode of Women Who Saved History, host Claytee White and scholar Su Kim Chung speak with Ellen Knowlton, former FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas Division, about her journey from FBI service to founding chair of The Mob Museum’s board. Ellen recounts how she was recruited by Mayor Oscar Goodman, her mission to ensure the FBI’s story was told accurately, and the challenge of transforming a neglected federal building into a world-class museum. She shares vivid memories of restoring original features, from rediscovering the courtroom’s deep red leather doors in the basement to bringing back the building’s brass mailboxes and historic light fixtures. Ellen also reflects on the museum’s role as a community resource, educating visitors about the gritty reality of organized crime and keeping Nevada’s history alive for future generations. Listen to hear how one woman’s dedication helped shape one of Nevada’s most important historical spaces!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Ellen was recruited by Mayor Oscar Goodman to join the museum project.
• Her path from business major to FBI Special Agent in Charge.
• The mission: accurate FBI portrayal and not glamorizing organized crime.
• Ellen’s first impressions of the abandoned courthouse and its historic significance.
• Restoring original features: red leather doors, brass mailboxes, and light fixtures.
• Overcoming community skepticism and earning trust for the project.
• Building a museum with rigorous fact-checking and historical integrity.
• The Mob Museum’s role as a community hub with programs and panels.
• Educating visitors on the gritty reality of organized crime and its effects.
• Ellen’s pride in the museum’s success and its lasting impact.
• Commitment to evolving exhibits to reflect ongoing organized crime history.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ellen Knowlton oral history interview | UNLV
The Mob Museum

The Mob Museum Advisory Council

The FBI

'Holding their own: Women special agents valuable to FBI’s mission'

Vote Smart | Facts for All

Oscar Goodman

Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project

Richard Bryan

Richard Bryan | UNLV

Claytee White
Su Kim Chung

Erica Vital-Lazare

Women of Diversity Productions Inc.
Nevada Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities

Caesars Entertainment

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Preserving Nevada’s history takes passion, persistence, and a deep respect for place—qualities that define Dr. Heidi Swank’s work. During this episode, Su Kim Chung sits down with Dr. Heidi Swank to talk about her work in preserving Nevada’s history. From an early interest in history to a career as a linguistic anthropologist, Heidi’s path led to founding the Nevada Preservation Foundation, whose early projects included the Vintage Vegas Home Tour that became the weekend long Home + History. She shares how the Foundation’s initiatives, from neighborhood designations to the Hugh Taylor Archive, have benefited residents, its expansion beyond Las Vegas, and funding through donations and service fees. Heidi reflects on legislative experience, volunteer contributions, and her surprises, challenges, and hopes for the future of preservation in Nevada. Tune in to hear from a key figure in building the Las Vegas community and protecting the history of our state.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Heidi Swank’s work as a linguistic anthropologist before starting the Nevada Preservation Foundation.
• Her early life and education, and how an early obsession with doorknobs sparked her interest in history.
• How Heidi’s work has been used in the state by historians and preservationists.
• Early projects of the Nevada Preservation Foundation, including the Vintage Vegas Home Tour.
• How Nevada residents have benefitted from the Foundation's work through local neighborhood designations, Home + History, and the Hugh Taylor Archive.
• First efforts outside of Las Vegas prior to the pandemic.
• Revenue sources including donations and fees for service work.
• How being in the legislature supported setting up her non-profit.
• What has surprised Heidi in her work in this sector: how long it took to find success.
• The importance of volunteers in supporting the Foundation.
• What is most unique about Nevada.
• Heidi’s feelings about the future of the Nevada Preservation Foundation.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Heidi Swank on LinkedIn
Heidi Swank Wikipedia
Assemblywoman Heidi Swank
Nevada Preservation Foundation
Transcript of Interview with Heidi and Scott Swank with Claytee White

Preservation Spotlight: Heidi Swank, Preservationist

Talking with Heidi Swank and Michelle Larime
Jack Levine
Jack Levine on LinkedIn
Inside 'Uncle Jack' Levine's delightful vintage Las Vegas home
Jack Levine UNLV

Tick Segerblom Wikipedia

Tick Segerblom
Eric Strain on LinkedIn
A

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What sparks a community’s love for its own story? In this episode of The Women Who Saved History, Claytee White and Su Kim Chung sit down with Alicia Barber, a public historian, writer, and founder of Stories in Place, to find out how she has redefined what it means to preserve Nevada’s past. Alicia shares how childhood road trips across America ignited her passion for place and how her fascination with Reno led her to turn the city into both a doctoral focus and a lifelong mission. From launching digital platforms like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History to collaborating with local agencies to fund and share overlooked narratives, Alicia has made public history both accessible and vital. She also opens up about her transition from academia to independent historical work, the creative ways she’s navigated funding challenges, and what makes preserving Nevada’s stories so personally meaningful. Tune in to discover how Alicia is helping Nevadans connect more deeply with their places (and each other) through history!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Founding Stories in Place: Bringing history into the public sphere.
• Childhood road trips that sparked a lifelong love of place for Alicia.
• Finding Reno and making it the focus of her doctoral work.
• Discovering public history and oral history through mentorship.
• Working with the National Park Service on storytelling for sites.
• Becoming an independent public historian through necessity and passion.
• Preserving history through creative, collaborative funding.
• Creating digital tools like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History.
• Making local history accessible to students, residents, and policymakers.
• Challenges of funding and the undervaluing of historic preservation.
• Growing public interest and progress in Reno’s preservation efforts.
• Significant historical locations in Reno that are close to Alicia’s heart.
• What makes public history in Nevada so rewarding for Alicia.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Alicia Barber

Stories in Place

Reno’s Big Gamble

The Barber Brief on Substack

Alicia Barber on LinkedIn

Alicia Barber on X

Nevada Writers Hall of Fame

UNR Special Collections

Nevada Historical Society

Historic Reno Preservation Society

Reno Historical

Reno Divorce History

'Time & Place with Alicia Barber' on KUNR

University of Nevada Oral History Program Transcripts

Nevada Museum of Art: Essay - A Legacy Revered

‘Through the Lens: Honoring the Architectural Legacy of Paul Revere Williams’

4th Street-Prater Way History Project

Our Story, Inc.

C

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What does it take to ensure women’s stories and accomplishments aren’t lost to history? In this powerful episode of The Women Who Saved History, we explore the legacy of Marlene Adrian, an athlete, scholar, and visionary who devoted the last three decades of her life to documenting and championing the contributions of Nevada women. Hosts Claytee White and Su Kim Chung are joined by Denise Duarte, an artist, graphic designer, author, activist, and President of Women of Diversity Productions Inc. (WOD), to reflect on Marlene’s leadership of WOD, a nonprofit that evolved from publishing academic journals to producing exhibits, oral histories, and documentaries. From providing for women’s recognition in the Las Vegas Centennial to creating the Nevada Women’s Legacy Project, Marlene’s story is a powerful example of how one woman’s vision can reshape public memory. Tune in to discover why preserving women’s history is essential for building a more inclusive future!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Marlene’s unexpected journey into historical preservation.
• The mission and evolution of Women of Diversity Productions.
• An inside look at the launch of the Las Vegas Centennial “Wall of Women.”
• Fighting for women’s inclusion in the city’s narrative.
• What went into creating the Nevada Women’s Legacy Project.
• First Ladies First: honoring Nevada’s living first ladies.
• Preserving women’s stories through documentaries and interviews.
• The importance of accessible archives and education.
• Marlene’s Milwaukee upbringing and early awareness of gender inequity.
• How her academic career in kinesiology and biomechanics shaped her historical work.
• Founding an academic journal to elevate women’s research.
• Insight into Marlene’s deep admiration for Nevada’s women leaders.
• Marlene’s personal drive, athletic achievements, and impact on women’s fencing.
• Challenges of running a volunteer-based nonprofit.
• The emotional and social value of documenting women’s lives and contributions.
• Remembering Marlene’s passion, warmth, humility, and ability to inspire others.
• Timing, mindset, and other distinct factors that fueled her success in Nevada.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Denise Duarte
Denise Duarte on LinkedIn
Women of Diversity Productions Inc.

WOD Board of Directors and Advisory Board
Marlene Joan Adrian
'A Tribute to Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal Founder Marlene Adrian'
'Marlene Adrian, Phys. Ed.'
The Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal (WSPAJ)

Nevada Women YouTube Channel

Gaming Gender Equality Index

Las Vegas Centennial Project

Nevada Women's Legacy Project

Claytee White

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Much of our history risks being lost if it isn’t recorded. In this episode, Su Kim Chung speaks with nuclear historian Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados about her vital work preserving Nevada’s history. We begin by exploring Dr. Palevsky Granados’s rich cultural heritage and the profound influence of her family history. From there, we dive into her career path, entrepreneurial spirit, and research journey. Our conversation highlights how her efforts have advanced historical documentation across Nevada and the key factors behind the success of her project. We also delve into the new research her work has inspired, what she found most compelling about gathering personal histories through interviews, and how her students played a pivotal role in the project’s success. Dr. Palevsky Granados is undoubtedly one of the most influential women working to safeguard Nevada’s past. Don’t miss this compelling conversation on her life, legacy, and research!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Dr. Palevsky Granados’s role in preserving the history of Nevada.
• Her early life as the child of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.
• The impact of her mother and father’s work and her grandmother’s activism in Russia.
• How her entrepreneurial work prepared her for success in research.
• Gathering data via oral history and the stories of local Nevadans.
• The Nevada Desert Experience’s work and peace protests by religious folk.
• An interview between peace activists Corbin Harney and Rosemary Lynch in 2005.
• How Dr. Palevsky Granados’s work has been used by historians and residents.
• The role of test site workers in the building of the city of Las Vegas.
• Different perspectives on Nevada and Dr. Palevsky Granados’s insights on her native students.
• Challenges of the subject matter and process she faced while doing her research.
• Interviews and experiences with miners.
• Major stories that facilitated Dr. Palevsky Granados’s success in Nevada.
• Why she attributes so much of her success to her students.
• One of the research endeavors that emerged from this project.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados UNLV Special Collections Portal

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados Email

Dr. Mary Palevsky Granados on C-SPAN Networks
Nevada Test Site Oral History Project
'Cold War Technoscience in Nevada'
The Size of the Risk
Atomic Fragments: A Daughter’s Questions

'Daughter of Atomic Bomb Builders to Discuss Moral Issues Confronted by Manhattan Project Scientists'
Interview with Corbin Harney and Rosemary Lynch
Nevada Desert Experience

Claytee White
Su Kim Chung

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The U.S. government’s relationship with Indigenous peoples is long and fraught, and its impact is still deeply felt today. In this episode, we’re joined by Mary Gibson, founder and executive director of the Noowuh (Shoshone) Knowledge Center in Nevada, a Nevada-based nonprofit focused on cultural preservation. A Western Shoshone enrolled with the Te-Moak Tribe, Mary is also a librarian and archivist dedicated to preserving the Noowuh language, culture, and history. In our conversation, she shares her archival work documenting the stories of the Western Shoshone people, including standout collections like the papers of Mary and Carrie Dann, two elder land activists. We also explore the Ruby Valley Treaty, signed between the U.S. and some Western Shoshone, and how its legacy continues to shape today’s land disputes. As we wrap up, Mary reflects on what fuels her preservation efforts, the work that still needs to be done, and the community that has supported her along the way. Tune in for a rich conversation on Indigenous history, activism, and cultural memory in Nevada with Mary Gibson.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Mary’s Western Shoshone and Mexican heritage, her upbringing in Elko, and her family.
• Her thirst for knowledge and the steps she took to continue her education while raising kids.
• How she earned her Master of Science in Library and Information Science (MSLIS) degree.
• Her former professor, Dr Anastasia Weigel: How she inspired Mary to become an archivist.
• Details of the collections that Mary was able to acquire when she returned to Elko.
• Records from land activists: how they are being used in the fight against the US government.
• A breakdown of the Ruby Valley Treaty and its significance to the Western Shoshone people.
• How Nevada residents have benefited from Mary’s preservation work.
• Some of the collections at the Noowuh Knowledge Center, founded by Mary.
• Ways that Mary has been acknowledged for her work and the positive effects of this.
• Key challenges Mary has faced in preserving tribal material.
• Why she founded the Noowuh Knowledge Center: Connecting Western Shoshone with their heritage.
• Fundamental historical and cultural facts that Mary would like to impart to listeners.
• Preservation work that still needs to be done, including indigenous food and plant traditions.
• Acknowledging the friends, family, and mentors who have helped Mary on her journey.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Cultural Heritage preservation | Noowuh Knowledge Center

Mary Gibson

Mary Gibson on LinkedIn

Great Basin Research Watch

Great Basin Research Watch | Team
'Historic records document decades-long struggle for native lands by Western Shoshone Tribe '

‘The Dann Sisters: Searching for Reciprocity for the Western Shoshone’

Two Sisters’ Story Unforgotten | University of Nevada, Reno

Claytee White
Su Kim Chung

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