Flora Mason

’85 BA English, ’88 MA English
Libraries Alumna of the Year

If someone were to write a book detailing Flora Mason’s passion for and commitment to both UNLV and the greater Las Vegas community, it would be so lengthy that it might make War and Peace read like a pamphlet.

Before, during, and since earning her two UNLV degrees, Mason has served as a guest lecturer and part-time instructor in the English department; coordinated the Clark County Library District’s volunteer program; spent two decades (and counting) sitting on the UNLV Libraries Advisory Board; founded (along with her late husband, Stuart) the Las Vegas Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation back in 1970; became the first woman to be elected by the general membership of Temple Beth Sholom to serve on its board of directors; and won countless awards for her volunteer service.

Then there’s the Mason Undergraduate Peer Research Coaches Program, which Stuart and Flora Mason founded and endowed in 2007. The program offers employment, mentorship, and guidance to first-generation undergraduate students, as well as those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and those who exhibit financial need. Program participants work part-time during the academic year and summer as library ambassadors “coaching” first-year students and supporting library initiatives.

All this, of course, only scratches the surface of Mason’s ongoing community contributions. And to think, it almost didn’t happen: In 1964, Stuart Mason relocated from Florida to help build Caesars Palace, and a year later, Flora and their three children joined him for what was supposed to be a temporary stay in the desert. 

“The West in general, and Las Vegas in particular, offered us dry weather with definite seasons, a welcoming population, and many growth opportunities — professionally, personally, and as a family,” Mason said. “It was (and still is) an exciting destination but also provided a small-town, family-friendly atmosphere. So we changed our plans and made this our home.”

You’ve had a boundless passion for libraries throughout your life. How did this develop?

Books were my mother’s great love, and she passed that on to me. I remember going to the public library near our home — it was in a cottage, and the children’s section was on the lower floor opening onto a garden. The upstairs was for the “big” people, but the librarian let me browse all the stacks. My method of book selection was very sophisticated: I would stand in front of a promising shelf of books, close my eyes, and point toward a book. Tap, you’re it!" I was introduced to many authors and topics that way.

There’s a direct line between your passion for libraries and your decades-long connection to UNLV. Can you explain?

When the Clark County Library District built its main branch near us on Flamingo Road, it was cause for great celebration, because a library signaled that we were a real city. And naturally, I placed a call to my mother, announcing the event. Years later, I would work at that library coordinating a new volunteer program, so I got to know the library’s director, Charles Hunsberger. At some point, I told Charles that I had never completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Miami, and he pointed out I could never advance at the library without a degree: “So walk down Maryland Parkway, Flora, and get that piece of paper.” 

I took that walk, got that degree, then my master’s degree in English, and went on to teach composition, literature, and critical thinking in UNLV’s English department and honors program.

What’s your message to the younger generation that relies so much on technology and might not believe libraries are all that important?

Although libraries have morphed dramatically from that small library I knew as a child to the technological and architectural wonder of the UNLV Lied Library, they remain exciting treasure troves of not only books, but also digital media. Libraries are catalysts for learning and sources of reliable information. Librarians can help you navigate the waters of our ever-expanding knowledge base, guiding you to new sources, helping evaluate those sources, and even pointing out avenues not previously considered.

Drawing from your experience, what three attributes should every college student strive to have a boundless supply of?

Positivity. My personal mantra cribbed from a little sign in a donut shop across from the Miami Public Library: “As you make your way through life, brother (or sister), whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the donut, and not upon the hole.”

Adaptability. When pursuing your education, learn to think and acquire multiple skills. Today’s world is constantly changing. Rare is the person who has one job in life.

Humility. You are not the center of the universe, even though you are a very important part. Balance those two concepts.