Vol.4, No. 7, July 2008
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Media magnate
Hank Greenspun, seen here with his wife Barbara, was one of the more influential—and unique—men to call Las Vegas home. Born in Brooklyn in 1909, Greenspun moved to Las Vegas in 1946.
The rest, they say, is history. Greenspun was an opinionated and passionate man, and he used his editorial column to support those who deserved aid and attack those who merited censure. He was always a fierce advocate of Las Vegas, and his unabashed political stances earned him many enemies. He publicly squared off against Nevada senator Patrick McCarran, then one of the most powerful men in the state, and his bitter feud with Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy earned him an indictment for “tending to incite” the assassination of the staunchly anti-communist lawmaker. He was acquitted, and McCarthy ultimately died in disgrace.
But Greenspun, despite scuffles with supporters of the status quo—including, on more than one occasion, the gaming industry—became a powerful man himself and, though his own bid for governor failed in 1962, a political force. He invested in a variety of businesses, including the state’s first television station, KLAS, and his real estate developments eventually culminated in Green Valley.
Since Greenspun’s 1989 death, Las Vegas has grown tremendously, but there are few public figures today who match his commitment to the city and his love of a good fight for a just cause.
SOURCE: Wilbur Clark Collection, UNLV Special Collections
