Businessman. Jackie Gaughan was a successful Las Vegas casino owner who was a true visionary and the last living "Founding Father" of Las Vegas. He earned a degree from the Roman Catholic school, Creighton University in Omaha. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corp and was stationed at one time at what is now Nellis AFB near Las Vegas, seeing the city for the first time. With his father being a legal bookmaker, his gambling career began at a Nebraska race track before relocating to Las Vegas in 1950. Beginning with the old Boulder Club, he owned or operated 11 more casinos in the downtown area: the Pioneer Club, Las Vegas Club, Golden Nugget, Showboat, Union Plaza, Sundance, Nevada Hotel, Club Bingo, Gold Spike, Western Bingo and his beloved El Cortez. Over the years, beside the Flamingo Hotel, he was also licensed for the Tahoe Biltmore, Mispah Hotel, Royal Inn Casino and Barbary Coast. He had the holding more than 25% of the available real estate in the city. In his lifetime, he was probably the most licensed individual in the history of Nevada. He was also licensed in New Jersey, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as well as Australia. Even after he sold his last hotel, the El Cortez, to other hotel executives, he continued to live in the penthouse until he died. He still walked the hotel floor every day meeting and talking to the customers and employees and playing poker. All his life Jackie Gaughan believed in hand shake deals and that a person's "word was his bond." He was greatly involved in the community. He was an original member of the Las Vegas Varsity Club, which was one of the forerunners of the United Way. He was one of the founders of the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas. He was man of the year for B'nai B'rith, National Jewish Hospital and the Boy Scouts just to name a few. He was Creighton University's Business School Businessman of the Year. His son, Michael, also received this award years later making them the only father and son team to be honored in Creighton's 110-year history. He was Bishop Gorman High School's first "Knight of the Gael" recipient. He was one of the major donors' in building the school in 1954. Both his sons, all of his grandchildren and one daughter-in-law attended Gorman. He was married for 54 years before his wife's death.