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

 

May 9, 2003

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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

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Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Memorializes casino visionary and philanthropist William Bennett. (BDR R‑1052)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

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

 

1-1  Whereas, The members of the Nevada Legislature join the

1-2  people of Nevada in mourning the loss of William Bennett, casino

1-3  visionary and philanthropist, who passed away on December 22,

1-4  2002; and

1-5  Whereas, William Bennett was born November 16, 1924, in

1-6  Glendale, Arizona, and after serving as a Navy dive-bomber pilot

1-7  during World War II, William Bennett returned home to Arizona

1-8  and built a chain of furniture stores which he sold in 1962; and

1-9  Whereas, Finding himself bankrupt when his investments were

1-10  mismanaged by an investment company, William Bennett bounced

2-1  back by using the opportunity to take his career in a different

2-2  direction when he was hired by the Del Webb Corporation, an

2-3  Arizona-based construction company that was expanding into casino

2-4  operations, and took great pride in the fact that he eventually repaid

2-5  all his creditors; and

2-6  Whereas, Transferring to the Sahara Tahoe in 1965, William

2-7  Bennett worked as a casino host at night and in various hotel

2-8  departments by day, learning the casino trade, and was quickly

2-9  promoted to manager of the Sahara Tahoe and later of the Mint,

2-10  reversing that casino’s trend of losing $2 million annually to making

2-11  $9 million a year; and

2-12      Whereas, When William Bennett left Del Webb, he and long-

2-13  standing business partner, Bill Pennington, formed a slot-machine

2-14  leasing business and later leased the troubled Circus Circus in Las

2-15  Vegas, exercising the option to buy in 1983; and

2-16      Whereas, In contrast to most of the glamorous, glitzy, high-

2-17  rolling casinos in Las Vegas at that time, the new Circus Circus

2-18  added another dimension to the city, making its target demographic

2-19  the families of the Heartland of America, offering affordable rooms

2-20  and meals and a family-friendly atmosphere with circus activities

2-21  and arcades to entertain the children while keeping them out of the

2-22  gaming area; and

2-23      Whereas, In 1990, Circus Circus Enterprises, under William

2-24  Bennett’s reign, opened the $300 million Excalibur, followed by the

2-25  opening of the $375 million Luxor in 1993, and the purchase of the

2-26  Sahara in 1995; and

2-27      Whereas, William Bennett, who had a longtime love of auto

2-28  racing, and Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Imperial Palace,

2-29  developed the $200 million Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which

2-30  brought in a new type of tourist, the race fan; and

2-31      Whereas, While William Bennett’s marketing genius made

2-32  him very successful, with Forbes magazine ranking him as one of

2-33  America’s richest men, he avoided the public spotlight and preferred

2-34  to donate to various charities without seeking recognition, founding

2-35  the Bennett Foundation to contribute to the needs of his community;

2-36  and

2-37      Whereas, Much of William Bennett’s generosity was directed

2-38  at employees of rival casinos, such as when he supplied 3 meals a

2-39  day 7 days a week for 5 years to striking workers of the Frontier and

2-40  when he made a generous donation to an association of employees

2-41  of the Aladdin after the casino was closed because of a management

2-42  dispute; and

2-43      Whereas, William Bennett was instrumental in the building of

2-44  the Temple Beth Sholom and, being an ardent animal rights activist,

2-45  also gave his support to many animal rights groups; and

3-1  Whereas, William Bennett had a special place in his heart for

3-2  education, donating more than $10 million to the University of

3-3  Nevada, Las Vegas, to build the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood

3-4  Development Center and the William G. Bennett Professional

3-5  Development Building which will train teachers to better educate at-

3-6  risk students; and

3-7  Whereas, William Bennett is survived by his wife Lynn,

3-8  daughter Diana Bennett, son William A. Bennett of Las Vegas,

3-9  stepdaughter Laura Lynn Lucia of Euless, Texas, four grandchildren

3-10  and two great-grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

3-11      Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the

3-12  Senate Concurring, That the members of the 72nd Session of

3-13  the Nevada Legislature offer their sincere condolences to the family

3-14  and friends of William Bennett; and be it further

3-15      Resolved, That the effect of William Bennett’s vision and

3-16  generosity will be felt for generations to come; and be it further

3-17      Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

3-18  transmit a copy of this resolution to Lynn, the beloved wife of

3-19  William Bennett.

 

3-20  H