Abstract
The Rico Izaguirre Collection of Harrah’s Entertainment Records (approximately 2003-2009) is comprised of records relating to employee engagement initiatives specific to the Atlantic City, New Jersey properties operated by Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. The initiatives include “Winning Together,” a program intended to boost employees’ political engagement during the 2004 election season in the United States, and “Code Green,” an environmental sustainability program. The materials consist of manager’s handbooks, strategic plans, correspondence, annual reports, awards, and marketing materials, such as posters and newsletters. The collection also includes digital design files for various internal communications and Code Green brochures, handbooks, and fliers.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
Extent
Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The Rico Izaguirre Collection of Harrah’s Entertainment Records (approximately 2003-2009) is comprised of records relating to employee engagement initiatives specific to the Atlantic City, New Jersey properties operated by Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., including Harrah’s Resort, Showboat, Caesars, and Bally’s. The initiatives include “Winning Together,” a program intended to boost employees’ political engagement during the 2004 election season in the United States, and “Code Green,” an environmental sustainability program. The materials consist of manager’s handbooks, strategic plans, correspondence, annual reports, awards, and marketing materials such as posters and newsletters. The collection also includes digital design files for various internal communications and Code Green brochures, handbooks, and fliers.
Access Note
Collection is open for research. Arrangements must be made in advance to access digital files; please contact UNLV Special Collections and Archives for additional information.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, Rico Izaguirre, transferred all right, title and interest they had in the Rico Izaguirre Collection of Harrah's Entertainment Records (MS-01207) to UNLV. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged by topic.
Biographical / Historical Note
Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. began as a short-lived bingo parlor in Reno, Nevada, first formed in 1937 by William (Bill) Fisk Harrah. Bill Harrah re-opened his casino as Harrah’s Tango Club in 1938 and grew the business by acquiring neighboring casinos in Reno. He expanded the Harrah’s brand over time and in 1971, the company made its initial public offering as Harrah’s Inc.
Harrah’s Inc. was purchased by another hotel corporation, Holiday Inns, Inc., after Bill Harrah’s death in 1978. The corporation retained the Harrah’s brand on its existing Nevada hotel-casinos, Harrah’s Reno and Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, and built Harrah’s Del Rio (later renamed Harrah’s Laughlin) in Laughlin, Nevada. The Harrah’s brand expanded into Atlantic City, New Jersey with the construction of Harrah’s Marina (later renamed Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City).
In 1990, The Promus Companies assumed ownership of part of Holiday Inns, Inc.’s former holdings, including the Harrah’s properties. In 1995, The Promus Companies separated its hotel-casinos from its non-gaming hotels, creating Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. as the parent company of the 16 gaming properties. In 2005, Harrah’s Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment, Inc. but continued to operate under the Harrah’s Entertainment name until late 2010, when the corporation changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corporation.
In 2020, Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts merged and as of 2025, continue to operate as Caesars Entertainment.
Sources:
McGinness, Brett. “Timeline: Harrah's 82-year history in downtown Reno.”
Parmley, Suzette. “The gambling world gets a new top dog - Harrah's.”
“Promus plans corporate split - Harrah's casino division to separate from hotel business.”
Preferred Citation
Rico Izaguirre Collection of Harrah's Entertainment Records, approximately 2003-2009. MS-01207. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Permalink
Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2025 by Rico Izaguirre; accession number 2025-031.
Processing Note
In 2025, Landon Paljusaj arranged and described the materials, transferred digital files from optical discs, created access copies of the digital files, and wrote the finding aid in ArchivesSpace.
Administrative Information
Resource Type
Collection Type
EAD ID
Appraisal Note
Acquired by Sarah Quigley, Director of Special Collections and Archives, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings on the hospitality and gaming industry. The "Code Green Toolbox," a wooden box containing marketing materials and grass filling was photographed, and the box and grass filling were discarded. The photographs were printed as photocopies and are housed with the marketing materials previously contained inside the box. Landon Paljusaj reviewed and appraised the digital files and removed duplicate files. The original acquisition included 0.5 linear feet of duplicate materials that were also discarded.