Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 24–Assemblymen Chowning, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Hettrick, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Perkins, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams

 

Joint Sponsors: Senators Carlton, Amodei, Care, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, O’Connell, Raggio, Rawson, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Assembly Concurrent RESOLUTION—Memorializing casino visionary and philanthropist William Bennett.

 

    Whereas, The members of the Nevada Legislature join the

 people of Nevada in mourning the loss of William Bennett, casino

 visionary and philanthropist, who passed away on December 22,

 2002; and

    Whereas, William Bennett was born November 16, 1924, in

 Glendale, Arizona, and after serving as a Navy dive-bomber pilot

 during World War II, William Bennett returned home to Arizona

 and built a chain of furniture stores which he sold in 1962; and

    Whereas, Finding himself bankrupt when his investments were

 mismanaged by an investment company, William Bennett bounced

 back by using the opportunity to take his career in a different

 direction when he was hired by the Del Webb Corporation, an

 Arizona-based construction company that was expanding into

 casino operations, and took great pride in the fact that he eventually

 repaid all his creditors; and

    Whereas, Transferring to the Sahara Tahoe in 1965, William

 Bennett worked as a casino host at night and in various hotel

 departments by day, learning the casino trade, and was quickly

 promoted to manager of the Sahara Tahoe and later of the Mint,

 reversing that casino’s trend of losing $2 million annually to

 making $9 million a year; and

    Whereas, When William Bennett left Del Webb, he and long

-standing business partner, Bill Pennington, formed a slot-machine

 leasing business and later leased the troubled Circus Circus in Las

 Vegas, exercising the option to buy in 1983; and

    Whereas, In contrast to most of the glamorous, glitzy, high-

rolling casinos in Las Vegas at that time, the new Circus Circus

 added another dimension to the city, making its target demographic

 the families of the Heartland of America, offering affordable rooms

 and meals and a family-friendly atmosphere with circus activities

 and arcades to entertain the children while keeping them out of the

 gaming area; and

    Whereas, In 1990, Circus Circus Enterprises, under William

 Bennett’s reign, opened the $300 million Excalibur, followed by

 the opening of the $375 million Luxor in 1993, and the purchase of

 the Sahara in 1995; and

    Whereas, William Bennett, who had a longtime love of auto

 racing, and Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Imperial Palace,

 developed the $200 million Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which

 brought in a new type of tourist, the race fan; and

    Whereas, While William Bennett’s marketing genius made

 him very successful, with Forbes magazine ranking him as one of

 America’s richest men, he avoided the public spotlight and

 preferred to donate to various charities without seeking recognition,

 founding the Bennett Foundation to contribute to the needs of his

 community; and

    Whereas, Much of William Bennett’s generosity was directed

 at employees of rival casinos, such as when he supplied 3 meals a

 day 7 days a week for 5 years to striking workers of the Frontier

 and when he made a generous donation to an association of

 employees of the Aladdin after the casino was closed because of a

 management dispute; and

    Whereas, William Bennett was instrumental in the building of

 the Temple Beth Sholom and, being an ardent animal rights activist,

 also gave his support to many animal rights groups; and

    Whereas, William Bennett had a special place in his heart for

 education, donating more than $10 million to the University of

 Nevada, Las Vegas, to build the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood

 Development Center and the William G. Bennett Professional

 Development Building which will train teachers to better educate

 at-risk students; and

    Whereas, William Bennett is survived by his wife Lynn,

 daughter Diana Bennett, son William A. Bennett of Las Vegas,

 stepdaughter Laura Lynn Lucia of Euless, Texas, four

 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the

 Senate Concurring, That the members of the 72nd Session of

 the Nevada Legislature offer their sincere condolences to the family

 and friends of William Bennett; and be it further

    Resolved, That the effect of William Bennett’s vision and

 generosity will be felt for generations to come; and be it further

    Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

transmit a copy of this resolution to Lynn, the beloved wife of

 William Bennett.

 

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