The Grant
Sawyer Center for Justice Studies is named after former Governor Grant
Sawyer, who served as Governor for the state of Nevada from 1959 to
1966.
Governor
Sawyer was an early leader in the battle to establish laws that promote
equal rights. His efforts led to an end to segregationist policies in
the state of Nevada, and helped to integrate schools, police departments,
and the Nevada gaming industry. He was instrumental in creating the
Nevada Gaming Commission in 1959, which helped to free the gaming industry
from underworld influences. He was also an advocate of environmental
conservation, and a leader in the movement to protect land at Lake Tahoe
for public use. He also served as Chair of the Nevada Commission on
Nuclear Projects, where he worked to prevent the establishment of nuclear
waste dumps in Nevada.
Grant
Sawyer left a legacy of exemplary public service, and a strong record
of support for social justice issues in both the state of Nevada and
our nation.
An informative
and highly readable account of Governor Sawyer’s history and public
life is found in Hang
Tough, a Biography published by the University of Nevada Oral
History Program.
University of Nevada, Reno
