Courtesy of odonata98

With summer upon us, Las Vegas will once again be buzzing with tourists from around the world. Whether visitors  like to gamble, enjoy gourmet meals, or just lounge by the pool, we mustn’t forget one of the men behind the scenes, Bill Bennett – who helped bring the Las Vegas Strip back to life.

by Megan Edwards

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ever since I learned a few months ago that Jack Sheehan was writing a book about the life of Bill Bennett, I’ve been on the lookout for word of its publication. As an avid aficionado of Las Vegas history, I was eager to learn more about the man behind Circus Circus, Excalibur, and Luxor.

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Bennett’s business skill called key in helping casino go public

By CHRIS SIEROTY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Any list of the most important people in Las Vegas history should include Bill Bennett. He built a huge name for himself in the 1970s and 1980s by transforming Circus Circus from a struggling casino into the then-most profitable property on the Strip.

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Bennett loved tinkering with his remote control airplanes.

Bill Bennett’s name soars on

Field honors lifelong model aircraft supporter

By F. ANDREW TAYLOR

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Many Las Vegas names seem to be given on a whim. A person’s name may be attached to a road or a building, not through any special connection to the place but simply to honor or remember that person. This is not the case with William G. Bennett Field at 6800 E. Russell Road.

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BOOK BUSINESS
Prolific Las Vegas author Jack Sheehan has finished his biography on William “Bill” Bennett , the casino giant who built Circus Circus, Luxor and Excalibur and owned the Sahara when he died in 2003.

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Bennett with hydroplane world champion and Miss Circus Circus pilot Chip Hanauer, Nevada first lady Kathy List, Governor Bob List, and Bill Pennington.

In addition to his contributions to the Las Vegas skyline, Bill Bennett was also a sponsor of Unlimited hydroplane racing. Fred Farley, ABRA Unlimited Historian writes of Bennett and his involvement in the sport.

 

Bill Bennett Remembered

Casino owner William G. (“Bill”) Bennett, a long-time participant in Unlimited hydroplane racing, passed away on December 22, 2002, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 78.

Mr. Bennett owned and/or sponsored Unlimiteds between 1978 and 1993 under the aegis of MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS. He was also active in Offshore powerboat racing and radio-controlled model competition.

The MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS team made its debut at the 1978 San Diego race on Mission Bay where they placed third with Jim Harvey as crew chief and Steve Reynolds as driver. Bennett had promoted a well-known 225 Cubic Inch Class racing team–the WHITE LIGHTNING–to the Unlimited ranks and given them an “unlimited” budget.

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The Movable Buffet
Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Richard Abowitz

Remembering William Bennett
March 7, 2007

As is fitting, Las Vegas will spend the next few months fascinated by the new owners of the Sahara. But I want to take a moment to recall one of the final owners of the resort, William Bennett. Bennett’s is not a name known outside Las Vegas to the extent of peers like Kirk Kerkorian and Steve Wynn.

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