Doris Hancock Collection. MS 87-59. Special Collections, UNLV Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Donated by Doris Hancock beginning in 1976. The collection was accessioned in four separate donations: 85-119, 86-035, 87-059, T-159.
Processed by Joyce Marshall, March 1996.
This collection is open for research.
For permission to reproduce or publish from this collection, please contact the Director of Special Collections.
Doris Hancock arrived in Las Vegas in December 1924, with the intention of only staying for six months. She agreed to accept a temporary position teaching kindergarten at John S. Park School, but then fell in love with Las Vegas and stayed to teach kindergarten at that school for 39 years.
Before coming to Las Vegas, Hancock taught in Iowa, South Dakota, Idaho, Washington and Nebraska. She received her degree from Colorado State College of Education at Greeley and took advanced training in colleges and universities in Arizona, Utah, California and Nevada.
Hancock was a charter member of Gamma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma and was one of the founders of the State organization. She organized and was president of the Association for Childhood Education International in Las Vegas. She also held several offices in her P.E.O chapter, serving as president for two year. In addition, she had been chosen Woman of the Year in 1949 by the Business and Professional Women’s Club in Las Vegas.
On her retirement in 1963 Doris was honored at a testimonial dinner given by the PTA. She held a life membership in the National congress of Parents and Teachers. Earlier that same year, she was the recipient of The Nevada Outstanding Citizen Award. In September, 1962, she was recognized by the Rotary Club as their first Teacher of the Week. In 1965, Doris Hancock Elementary School was named for her in Las Vegas.
Outside of her professional activities her interests include western history and art, particularly painting and drawing. She studied under a number of well known artists and has exhibited and sold a number of her paintings. Doris helped to organize the Las Vegas Art League.
After her retirement, she moved to San Diego, California to be near relatives. Doris Hancock passed away in 1987 at the age of 91.
The scope of this collection reflects Doris Hancock’s interests. Other than some school memorabilia and a considerable amount of correspondence, there is little personal material, but much remains concerning Southern Nevada and the surrounding areas. Hancock collected information on mining towns, the Colorado River, Boulder Dam, Red Rock Canyon and other historical places. Her love for the desert is also reflected in her collection of black and white photos of Las Vegas and the surrounding areas including many shots of desert vegetation.
Biographical information and a sketch book from her class with Birger Sandzen is in the collection. Samples of her own work are also included. Hancock also kept two scrapbooks which remain with the collection, one on Death Valley, California and one on early Las Vegas.
The material is organized in alphabetical order.
Thirty photographs were moved and added to an already extensive collection in UNLV Special Collections Photo Collection 0003.
For related topics and further information see the following collections:
Las Vegas Art League Collection, T-105
Mildred Mann Collection, MS 96-10
Vivian Woods Collection, MS 95-16