| November 18, 2011 |
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 This year marks the centennial of William Frisk Harrah, the namesake of some of Nevada's hotels and UNLV's College of Hotel Administration. Senator Richard Bryan expounds on his colorful life in this episode of Nevada Yesterdays.
Originally a California transplant, he opened his first club in Reno Nevada in 1937 where the atmosphere for such activities was more friendly. His operations expanded to Lake Tahoe and beyond.
And despite the reputation of Reno operators being known for ties to organized crime, Harrah managed to successfully run his businesses without their "help."
After his death in 1978 his company eventually evolved into Caesars Entertainment.
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Our essays are written by Michael Green, professor at the College of Southern Nevada. Nevada Yesterdays is funded by the Nevada Humanities and dedicated to the memory of Frank Wright.
Comments
Serge Sand wrote on Nov 18, 2011 08:45 AM:
Bill Harrah was briefly married to Bobbie Gentry, not Barbi Benton.
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