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Women of Clark County
Saraan Knight-Preddy
1920 - 2014
Sarann Knight-Preddy, who moved to Las Vegas during World War II, became the first woman of color to obtain a gaming license. In 1950, she bought and renamed a club in Hawthorne, about 300 miles north of Clark County, making it the town's first racially integrated club. She later returned to Las Vegas and played an active role in the NAACP during efforts to integrate casinos in the city. Additionally, she was instrumental in preserving the Moulin Rouge and ensuring its recognition as a historically significant site.
Pictured: Sarann Knight-Preddy, 1979. North Las Vegas Library Photograph Collection. UNLV University Libraries Special Collections & Archives.
Sources
- Carpenter, Jami, and Denise Gerdes, eds. Unforgettable Nevada Women: One Hundred Biographical Profiles of Nevada Women in History. Southern Nevada Women’s History Project, 2020.
- UNLV Special Collections Portal. “Transcript of Interview with Katherine Duncan and Sarann Knight Preddy by Claytee D. White, November 28, 2004.” Accessed April 9, 2025. https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark%3A/62930/d1w090h40.
For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.