April 30, 1887 – May 24, 1967
- 1906, age sixteen married the first of his five wives, Dora Mae Pigeon
- 1908 moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado
- bought an old roulette wheel
- creation of Harolds Club. Harolds was one of the first modern American casinos
- 1964 played a significant role in convincing the federal government to build the I-80 freeway over the Sierra Nevada mountains
- 1981, four years after Pappy was named Grandfather of Gaming during the fiftieth anniversary celebration of legalized gambling in Nevada
About Raymond “Pappy” Smith
Raymond I. “Pappy” Smith was the general manager and guiding figure of Harolds Club in Reno, Nevada, and is widely regarded as the grandfather of Nevada gaming. His son Harold Smith Sr. opened the club on February 23, 1935, with about $500, one game and two slot machines, a few years after Nevada legalized gambling in 1931. Pappy joined his sons Harold and Raymond A. in running it, and the club grew into the most famous casino in the world by the 1950s, helped by its “Harolds Club or Bust” billboard campaign, which began in the 1940s and reached 45 states and other countries. Harolds was also the first Nevada casino to hire women as dealers.
For gun owners and collectors, Harolds Club is remembered for its Roaring Camp room, a museum of western firearms and artifacts open to visitors of all ages. The collection included flintlock muskets, dueling pistols, Civil War arms, Winchester rifles and Colt revolvers. Pappy died in 1967, and Summa Corp. bought the club in 1970 for an estimated $11 million. The gun collection was auctioned piece by piece in 1994, the club closed on March 31, 1995, and the building was demolished after Harrah’s bought the property in 1999.
Key Facts
- February 23, 1935: Harolds Club opens in Reno
- 1940s: “Harolds Club or Bust” billboard campaign begins
- 1967: Pappy Smith dies
- 1970: Summa Corp. buys Harolds Club for an estimated $11 million
- 1994: Roaring Camp gun collection auctioned piece by piece
- March 31, 1995: Harolds Club closes
