An Interview with Eva G. Simmons An Oral History Conducted by Claytee D. White African American Collaborative Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas ©African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2012 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Henderson Libraries Las Vegas Clark County Public Libraries Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries Wiener-Rogers Law Library at William S. Boyd School of Law, UNLV Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Las Vegas National Bar Association Vegas PBS Clark County Museum Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV - University Libraries Director: Claytee D. White Project Manager: Barbara Tabach Transcriber: Kristin Hicks Interviewers, Editors and Project Assistants: Barbara Tabach, Claytee D. White, B. Leon Green, John Grygo, and Delores Brownlee, Melissa Robinson. ii The recorded Interview and transcript have been made possible through the generosity of a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant. The Oral History Research Center enables students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first-person narratives. The participants in this project thank University of Nevada Las Vegas for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish. The transcript received minimal editing that includes the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. In several cases photographic sources accompany the individual interviews. The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. Claytee D. White Director, Oral History Research Center University Libraries University Nevada Las Vegas iii Preface Growing up in Somerville, Texas, Eva Goins Simmons never imagined moving to Las Vegas, Nevada—but she moved here twice: Once briefly in 1957 to be with her sister and then again continuously in 1963 after college graduation and marrying her husband George Simmons. She shares the story of how she rooted her life in the desert community, devoted herself to education and to her family. Eva attributes her life successes to her list of friends and mentors. Despite their college educations, the employment opportunities for educated African Americans were limited. Eva had a degree in sociology, health and recreation; her husband had an engineering/architecture degree from University of Texas, Austin. Their persistence and talents eventually led to successful careers. George worked for Sproul Homes during the building of Berkley Square and at the Nevada Test Site. Eva's career path worked its way through the Clark County School District from teacher to administrator. She provides an understanding of the Sixth Grade Centers and Prestige Schools, which were spawned during the desegregation era. Today there is a school named after her in North Las Vegas—the Eva G. Simmons Elementary School. She also was active in the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and the formation of Les Femmes Douze, a scholarship-granting organization. iv Table of Contents Interview with Eva G. Simmons February 4, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada Conducted by Claytee D. White Preface iv Talks about her early life, growing up in eastern Texas; temporarily living in Las Vegas and then enrolled at University of Texas, Austin, lived in segregated dorm; started Delta Sigma Theta chapter there. Describes meeting her husband; how her sister moved to Las Vegas; how her mother became probation officer; Judge Robert "Moon" Mullen. Explains how she and her husband came to live in Las Vegas 1 - 6 Explains 1963 racism and how she and her husband George faced in attaining a employment that matched their educational degrees; George worked for Sproul Homes (Berkley Square) and at the Nevada Test Site; Eva becomes teacher despite hurdles; "voluntary desegregation plan;" career advancements; Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title One 7 - 12 Speaks about being appointed assistant personnel manager under Supt. Claude Perkins; lists blacks who held administrative positions during that era. Talks about Sixth Grade Centers; Prestige Schools; Sullivan Programed Reading 13 - 16 Describes the beginning of the scholarship-granting organization Les Femmes Douze; first debutante ball in 1964 in the Gold Room; 2012's group of debutantes and continued interest in the organization; garnering media coverage; story about Frank Sinatra stopping in once; selection process and expectation of the girls chosen. Black Community Organizations Network; baccalaureate program for graduating black students 17 - 24 Shares types of entertainment and places they would go including Huntridge movie theater; had summer jobs at El Morocco in the cage and for Allied Credit; describes Jackson Street of the mid-1950s; Harrison House; 1960 plans to march to desegregate the Strip and recalls participating in sit-ins in Austin, Texas. Talks about downside of integration 25 - 29 More about husband's design work with Nucleus Plaza Shopping Center; house developments, Regal Estates, Valley View, Sproul Homes. Her thoughts about the future of Westside; Eleanor Walker; NAACP; last thoughts about Las Vegas 30 - 34 Index 35 v vi This is Claytee White and I'm with Mrs. Eva Simmons in her home here in North Las Vegas. The date is February fourth, 2013. How are you doing today? I'm well, thank you. How about you? Fantastic. It's wonderful to be here. Thank you. Could you spell your last name for me, please? Yes. S-I-M-M-O-N-S. Thank you so much. I want to start by just asking you to tell me a bit about your early life, where you grew up, your parents and what they did for a living? I was born [1938] in a little town in south Texas called Somerville, Texas. It's near Houston and Austin, actually. I think I was six years old when my father died and my mother moved to Austin. So I claim Austin as my home because I had all of my formative years there, attending elementary, junior high, high school and college there in Austin. My family moved to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s and my mother and I came to visit. My sister [Shirley (Morris) Willis] had a little baby girl who was born weighing only two and a half pounds. So it's a miracle that she even lived. I think she's about fifty now. So back in the day they didn't have all these little tubes and little things. Anyway, my mother could not go back home and leave that pitiful little baby, so there I was. I worked here a couple of years, saved my money and went back home to college, which is what I really wanted to do. I was one of the first undergraduates to enroll at the University of Texas, Austin, and I lived on campus in a segregated dorm, of course. But I was in my hometown, so that was really kind of nice. I had wonderful mentors from my teachers and whatever. So I never felt alone; I 1 always felt supported and encouraged. In fact, it was because these ladies' help that I received a scholarship to pay my college expenses. So I was destined to become a Delta [Delta Sigma Theta] because these women were all Deltas. So I chartered a Delta chapter there at the University of Texas. I had a wonderful life. There's nothing that I regret. Wonderful. How many blacks were enrolled in your class? Well, when I entered the university, there were three hundred blacks university-wide, which included undergraduates and graduates. The girls lived in what was called a co-op because the residential fees were lower. We earned part of our room and board by doing the chores at the co-op. And the boys, the young African men were way across campus living in what had been some former military barracks. Of course, I never saw them, but my husband has told me what they were like. So they were far worse off than we were. Some of the young men would subscribe to have their meals at the co-op because that was more cost effective for them and they were getting good meals and they had access to the young women who were there. Is that how you met your husband? That's how I met my husband. In fact, my boyfriend at the time introduced me to my husband [George] [laughing]. Silly man. Yeah. On Friday nights the young men would come over and we would play cards and dance to the forty-fives, which were popular then, and just have a great time there in our little home, as we called it. And it was a parlor? Yes, a huge one with a dining room adjacent to. We'd push the furniture back and we'd just have a ball. 2 That's wonderful. Your sister was already in Las Vegas. How did she get to Las Vegas and why Las Vegas? My sister ( Shirley ) married an airman whose parents lived here in Las Vegas, worked on a place that they called "the ranch." And I know exactly where it is, off Tonopah and Owens, but it was out in the middle of the desert when I first moved here, of course. But anyway, that's how my sister ended up in Las Vegas. My mother absolutely hated Las Vegas. She was concerned about the ramifications of the bomb at the Nevada Test Site, and rightly so we know now. She didn't like it that the whole economy was predicated on gambling and that kind of stuff.