Abstract
The McCall Family Papers are comprised primarily of family photographs and correspondence from 1910-1970. The materials concentrate on Quannah McCall and his daughter, Connie McCall, both were well known dentists in Southern Nevada. The materials also contain letters, postcards, holiday cards, and birth, death, and marriage certificates, as well as school commencement announcements for family members.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The McCall Family Papers (1770-1990) primarily contain family photographs and correspondence between family members. The collection includes greeting cards, newspaper clippings, genealogical records, and graduation, birth, death, and marriage certificates, announcements, and invitations. A focus of the collection is on Quannah and Connie McCall, who both worked as dentists in Southern Nevada. Some of the family photographs also portray family members posing at famous Las Vegas hotels and restaurants.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
These records are arranged by topic.
Biographical / Historical Note
Quannah McCall (February 15, 1902-September 17, 1958) was a prominent dentist in Las Vegas, Nevada from the 1930s-1950s. Quannah was born in Layton, Oklahoma to Dr. Tecumseh D. Sherman McCall and Sarah Sandusky. He followed his father’s career as a dentist, and attended the Kansas City Western Dental College, graduating in 1925 as the valedictorian of his class and president of the Xi Psi Phi Dental Fraternity. Quannah married Grace Delvin McCall and in the 1930s the couple moved to Pioche, Nevada, where his father, Tecumseh, had started a dental practice. Quannah started his own general practice.
In 1936, Governor Richard Kirman Sr. honored Quannah’s dedicated service to his patients by selecting him as the Nevada State Dentist. Quannah toured Nevada from 1937-1940 in a dental truck and trailer, where he offered exams and dental work to children throughout the state. Quannah’s community service included many other organizations. He served as President of the Shrine Club (Shriners of Las Vegas), the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas, the Clark County Dental Association, the Nevada Dental Association, and the Clark County School District Board of Education, where he assisted in creating three high schools and ten elementary and middle schools. Quannah was also a high-ranking officer of Masonic Lodge No. 32.
Connie McCall (July 7, 1932-June 25, 2006) was a dentist in southern Nevada from the 1950s-2000s. Connie grew up in Las Vegas and attended Las Vegas High School. After graduation, she went to college at the University of Kansas City School of Dentistry, where she was the only woman working on a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Connie established a therapeutic dental office for troubled girls in Caliente, Nevada, wrote dentistry training books for hospitals, and implemented the first holistic dental research training program in Nevada, which used color and sound therapy. She and her husband started an advertising and public relations firm, and they founded the Connie McCall Foundation for Health Research and Education. She appeared in the 1989 edition of “Distinguished Women in Southern Nevada.”
Quannah and Connie McCall’s service to Las Vegas was commemorated in 1962 and 1995 respectively. In 1962, an elementary school was named for Quannah, and in 1995 the same elementary school selected Connie’s name for their library.
Sources:
Annie Blachley.
Debra D. Bass. “Library dedicated to friend of education.”
Maggie Lillis. “Dentistry pioneers’ imprint on education continues to impact the city.”
Richard O. Davies, editor.
Preferred Citation
McCall Family Papers, 1770-1990. MS-00753. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were received in 2010 and 2021; accession numbers 2010-018 and 2021-119.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Lee Hanover rehoused the materials, and revised the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2021, Tammi Kim accessioned the 2021 addition and updated the finding aid.