Clark, Wilbur, 1908-1965.

Wilbur and Toni Clark, two of Las Vegas' modern era founders, helped the city earn its reputation as a glamorous resort town and the entertainment capital of the world. Wilbur Clark owned and operated other hotel properties in San Diego and Las Vegas, including the El Rancho Vegas which Clark bought in 1944 only to sell it two years later. But perhaps no hotel in Las Vegas in the 1950s was more important or influential than the Desert Inn. Construction began on the Desert Inn in 1947. After it opened in April 1950 (after ten million dollars of construction), the Desert Inn became a hospitality prototype, offering an eighteen-hole golf course and a gourmet restaurant among several amenities. It was a Las Vegas showplace that city fathers proudly touted to the world. The Clarks became goodwill ambassadors for the city and were hosts to national celebrities and international dignitaries that brought positive press to a transitioning Las Vegas. Their legacy of elegance is seen today as Strip hotels compete to attract tourists by offering ever bigger and more extravagant resort venues.

From the description of Wilbur and Toni Clark Collection. 1947-1991. (University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 300318986