Juanita Greer White
Dublin Core
Title
Juanita Greer White
Subject
Source
Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project
Publisher
Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN)
Rights
This resource is available for education and research purposes. This collection is a collaboration and combination of various projects including, but not limited to; the Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project, the Nevada Women’s Archives, the Las Vegas Women Oral History Project and the Makers: Women in Nevada History Project, a co-production of the Women's Research Institute of Nevada and VegasPBS. The text, images, audio and video in this collection are under copyright by different repositories and may not be reproduced without express written consent of the appropriate entities.
Person Item Type Metadata
Work/Contribution
Scientist, Regent and Legislator
Birth Date
November 19, 1905
Birthplace
Arrival in Las Vegas
1956
Death Date
September 18, 1997
Biographical Text
Juanita Greer White earned a doctorate in physical chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1929 at a time when women were unwelcome in the scientific professions. She established a career as a professor and researcher before moving to Boulder City in 1955, where her husband Thomas established a surgical practice. She immediately became active in the community and in 1962 voters elected her to the Nevada Board of Regents. In 1971 she was elected to the State Assembly.
As a Regent, White was an outspoken supporter of Nevada Southern. When the Southern University Land Foundation proposed acquiring 50 acres for the university, White insisted on the 300 acres that now make up UNLV’s main campus. As part of the 1964 Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, she strongly advocated for programs that would increase women’s access to higher education in the state. She remained actively involved with UNLV, particularly the biology department, until her death in 1997. The Life Sciences building was renamed as a tribute to her lifetime of service to the sciences, higher education, and the Southern Nevada community.
As a Regent, White was an outspoken supporter of Nevada Southern. When the Southern University Land Foundation proposed acquiring 50 acres for the university, White insisted on the 300 acres that now make up UNLV’s main campus. As part of the 1964 Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, she strongly advocated for programs that would increase women’s access to higher education in the state. She remained actively involved with UNLV, particularly the biology department, until her death in 1997. The Life Sciences building was renamed as a tribute to her lifetime of service to the sciences, higher education, and the Southern Nevada community.
Bibliography
Moehring, Eugene. UNLV: A History. Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2007.
Guide to the Juanita Greer White Papers. Special Collections and Archives. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection # MS-00254.
Guide to the Juanita Greer White Photographs. Special Collections and Archives. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection # PH-00249. Photo Collections Record.
Guide to the Juanita Greer White Papers. Special Collections and Archives. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection # MS-00254.
Guide to the Juanita Greer White Photographs. Special Collections and Archives. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection # PH-00249. Photo Collections Record.
Collection
Citation
“Juanita Greer White,” Makers Teaching Modules, accessed October 5, 2026, https://mail.makersteachingmodules.sites.unlv.edu/items/show/108.