2007 Oral History Project
Mouryne B. Landing Dini was elected by the Assembly members as Chief Clerk of the Assembly in 1973 and served under both Democratic and Republican leadership. She served as Chief Clerk a record 23 years until she retired in 1995. Her legislative service began in the secretarial pool in the 1965 Regular Session, and included the positions of committee secretary, Journal Clerk and Assistant Chief Clerk until she was elected as Chief Clerk in 1973. For the 1969 Legislative Session she was the Assistant Chief Clerk, which was the last session to be held in the old Capitol. During her tenure with the Nevada Legislature, Mouryne played a critical role in providing professional and efficient administrative support for legislators and maintaining the official record of the legislative process for the Assembly.
The 2007 Nevada Legislature approved an appropriation for a project of conducting oral histories with former state legislators. Mouryne was included in the oral history project based on her longstanding service and was interviewed on June 25, 2009, at the Dini home in Yerington. A transcript of her interview is available at: Mouryne Dini Interview
Guy Rocha Presentations 2003 to 2011
In 2003, Richard D. Perkins, former Speaker of the Assembly, began conducting one floor session in the old Assembly chamber of the capitol for each legislative session. During these events, the staff arranges the wooden desks used by the past legislators, complete with inkwells, in the small chamber room and handwritten notes and an old-fashioned blackboard and chalk are used to record the floor proceedings, as was done prior to the computer technology used today.
Speakers Barbara E. Buckley and John Oceguera continued the practice for each legislative session, and the former Nevada State Archivist, Guy Rocha, gave presentations on memorable, and sometimes very colorful, events that occurred at legislative sessions during the early years of Nevada’s statehood. A transcript of the five presentations made for 2003 to 2011 can be located at: Guy Rocha, Presentations 2003-2011.pdf
