Wilbur Clark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 27, 1908 |
| Died | August 27, 1965(1965-08-27) (aged 56) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Toni Clark |
| Parent(s) | Shirley Clark Lulu Clark |
Wilbur Clark (December 27, 1908 – August 27, 1965) was an American casino owner and land developer inLas Vegas,Nevada.
Wilbur Clark was born on December 27, 1908, inKeyesport, Illinois.[1][2] His parents were Shirley and Lulu Clark.[1]
Clark moved toSan Diego, California, at age 19, and worked in a hotel.[2] He also worked on gambling ships, where gambling could take place in international waters.[2]
He purchasedEl Rancho Vegas in 1944.[1] A year later, in 1945, he purchasedMonte Carlo Club.[1] In 1946, he sold El Rancho Vegas.[1] With that money, he built theDesert Inn casino in 1947.[1] However, he quickly sold most of his interest to businessmanMoe Dalitz, owning only 17.5%.[1] Another business partner wasHank Greenspun, the publisher of theLas Vegas Sun newspaper.[3] He remained the public face of the Desert Inn.[1] In the 1950s, he organized the Tournament of Champions, an annual golf tournament at the Desert Inn Golf Course, televised byNBC.[1] He sold his share in 1964.[2]
During his time as head of the Desert Inn, Clark had a charity called 'Wilbur Clark's Cavalcade of Charities.' In 1964, as part of the charity, he helped organize the first ever professional football game in Las Vegas, anAmerican Football League preseason game between the thenOakland Raiders andHouston Oilers.[4] The game helped establish a relationship between the Raiders'sAl Davis and Las Vegas. That relationship between the Davis family and Las Vegas was eventually a motivating factor in his sonMark Davis relocating the team to the Las Vegas Area in 2020 as theLas Vegas Raiders.[citation needed]
Later, he developed Wilbur Clark's Paradise Gardens, located at 4505 South Maryland Parkway, south of theThomas & Mack Center.[2] He donated the land on whichGuardian Angel Cathedral was built.[citation needed]
He marriedToni Clark, born Lena Gaglionese, in 1944.[1][3] She became a philanthropist and fashion icon, supporting theLas Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra andNevada Ballet Theatre. In 1958, she was on the Fashion Foundation of America's 10 Best Dressed Women in America list. She died in 2006.[3]
Clark died of aheart attack on August 27, 1965.[3]
The Wilbur Clark D.I. Road (previously known as the Desert Inn Road) in Las Vegas, Nevada, is named in his honor.[2][3]
Whilst Dr. Heywood Floyd is en route to the moon inStanley Kubrick's film2001: A Space Odyssey during the wait over at the orbiting wheel in space, there is a sign for "Howard Johnson's Earthlight Rooms".[citation needed]