James B. McMillan
A dentist at the center of civil-rights organizing
A pioneering Black dentist and NAACP leader whose work challenged segregation in Las Vegas.
A profession and a movement
McMillan arrived in Las Vegas in 1955 after military dental service. UNLV’s collection guide identifies him as Nevada’s first Black dentist and describes his leadership of the local NAACP. [1]
Pressure for change
As NAACP president he threatened a Strip march in 1960 during the campaign against segregation. The papers also document civic, business and school-board activity, with a shared collection preserving Marie McMillan’s work alongside his. [1]
Key dates
People in the same story
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In the archive
6 matching entries in the saved collection.
Black-and-white photograph of James McMillan, Charles West, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Monsignor Empey, circa 1962
Photograph from Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: Circa 1954–1962.
Photograph of the meeting at Moulin Rouge Hotel Coffee Shop to end segregation on the Las Vegas Strip, March, 1960
Photograph from Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: March 1960.
Photograph of NAACP fundraiser at Valley View Golf Club, circa 1965
Photograph · Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: Circa 1965.
Fundraiser at the NAACP Valley View Golf Club: photographic print
Photograph · Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: November 1972.
Photograph of Adellair Gay, Joe Williams, Anna Bailey, and Bob Bailey attending the Links Black and White Ball at Caesars Palace, November 28, 1987
Photograph from Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: November 28, 1987.
Greg Morris, Jillian Williams, Joe Williams, James B. McMillan, Marie McMillan, and Hank Greenspun identified from left to right: photographic print
Photograph · Marie and James B. McMillan Photograph Collection. Catalog date: November 1, 1997.
Go deeper into the record.
Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
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