Oran K. Gragson
The growing city and the civil-rights era
Las Vegas mayor from 1959 to 1975, whose administration spans major growth in streets, housing, parks and civic responsibilities.
Sixteen years at City Hall
Gragson served four terms from 1959 to 1975. The Sun’s obituary connects his administration to transportation, parks and housing for minority residents. UNLV preserves his papers for further research. [2] [1]
Growth and inequality
The city’s Westside timeline documents the inequalities surrounding this era, including the 1969 unrest, police barricades and curfew. Reading that record beside celebratory accounts of development makes the civic history more complete. [3]
Start with the papers
UNLV’s collection guide describes records covering 1959–1988. The collection’s date range is not his term of office; it indicates the material preserved for historians. [1]
Key dates
People in the same story
Grant Sawyer
Explore state government during the same civil-rights and casino-growth era. National Governors Association
Read the profileIn the archive
7 matching entries in the saved collection.
Photograph of a shack house in West Las Vegas, located at 711 Van Buren Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada, October, 1957
Photograph · Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: October 1957.
Photograph of a shack house in West Las Vegas, located between Van Buren Avenue and the North Project Boundary, and H and J Streets, Las
Photograph · Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: October 1957.
Photograph of a shack house in West Las Vegas, located at 1511 H Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, October, 1957
Photograph · Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: October 1957.
Photograph of a West Las Vegas shack house located at 1401 H Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, October, 1957
Photograph · Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: October 1957.
Photograph of Las Vegas Mayor Oran K. Gragson in a parade on Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1960s
Photograph from Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: Circa 1960–1969.
Photograph of Mayor Oran K. Gragson and his wife Bonnie in a parade on Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1960s
Photograph from Oran K. Gragson Photographs. Catalog date: Circa 1960–1969.
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.
- 1
- 2
Longtime Las Vegas mayor Oran Gragson dies at 91
Publisher-page access is unconfirmed. Access check: Oct 4, 2026. Search for this source (search results)
- 3
Historic Westside timeline
Publisher-page access is unconfirmed. Access check: Oct 4, 2026. Search for this source (search results)