Robert Alan Cashell (April 22, 1938 – February 11, 2020) was an American

businessman A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. He served as the mayor of

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

from 2002 to 2014. He served as the 28th

Lieutenant Governor of Nevada The lieutenant governor of Nevada is a constitutional officer in the executive branch, executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Nevada. The lieutenant governor maintains an office in Carson City, Nevada at the Nevada State Capitol and i ...

from 1983 to 1987 and on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents from 1979 to 1982. He served as a board member for

Station Casinos Station Casinos, LLC is an American hotel and casino company based in Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin South, Nevada, and founded by Frank Fertitta Jr. Station Casinos, along with Affinity Gaming, Boyd Gaming and Golden Entertainment, dominate t ...

from June 17, 2011 until his death on February 11, 2020. Cashell was a moderate member of the Republican Party and was a former member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Biography

Because of Bob Cashell's large contributions to UNR students, a football team field house at the University of Nevada was constructed, and named after him. Cashell was a prominent businessman, owning Cashell Enterprises, a hotel/casino company. He bought Bill & Effies, a truck stop, in 1967 and renamed it

Boomtown Reno Boomtown Reno is a hotel and casino located in Verdi, Nevada, just west of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area. The hotel has 318 guest rooms and suites and the casino has a gaming area. History The property originally began as a truck stop, ...

. He sold

Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...

in 1988, after turning the property into a casino/resort. Cashell later managed several Nevada properties including: Karl's Silver Club (now the defunct Bourbon Square Casino) in Sparks, the

Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino (named after New Orleans' Bourbon Street) was a small hotel and casino near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Opening in 1980 as the Shenandoah Hotel, the property was plagued with licensing and financial ...

(now demolished) in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, The

Ormsby House Ormsby House is a closed hotel and casino in Carson City, Nevada. Originally opened in 1972, it closed on October 30, 2000, for extensive renovations. The re-opening was originally planned for July 4, 2001, but was pushed back many times due to ...

in Carson City, and the Avi Resort & Casino for the Avi Indian Tribe in Laughlin. He was a partner in several ventures including: Carson Station (now

Max Casino Max Casino (until 2013, formerly the Carson Station) and earlier, The Travelodge Casino, is a hotel and casino located in Carson City, Nevada. The Max Casino contains of casino gaming space and 91 rooms. Max Casino had both blackjack and craps i ...

) in

Carson City Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the ...

, the Comstock Hotel & Casino (now The Residences at Riverwalk Towers) in

and the Holiday Casino (now

Harrah's Harrah's Entertainment (later named Caesars Entertainment Corporation, previously The Promus Companies) was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven go ...

) in Las Vegas. He has also owned several properties including: Winners Inn, Star Casino and Model T Truck Stop in Winnemucca and the Alamo Truck Stop in Sparks. His son, Robert Jr., was a partner in the new ownership of the Fitzgeralds Reno in downtown Reno (which is now the

Whitney Peak Hotel Whitney Peak Hotel (formerly Fitzgeralds Reno and CommRow) is a hotel and former casino located in Downtown Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by DRW Holdings LLC. History Fitzgeralds Reno (1976–2008) Lincoln Fitzgerald, owner of the Neva ...

). Cashell and his family owned and operate Alamo Truck Plaza in Sparks and Topaz Lodge in Gardnerville. Cashell died on February 11, 2020, at the age of 81, after being at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Downtown Reno due to suffering heart problems and long-term illnesses.

Footnotes

Kling, Dwayne. ''The Rise of The Biggest Little City: An Encyclopedic History, 1931–1981''. University of Nevada Press (2000)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cashell, Bob 1938 births 2020 deaths American casino industry businesspeople American hoteliers Businesspeople from Nevada Catholics from Nevada Catholics from Texas Lieutenant Governors of Nevada Mayors of Reno, Nevada Nevada Democrats Nevada Republicans People from Longview, Texas Politicians from Carson City, Nevada Politicians from Reno, Nevada Stephen F. Austin State University alumni United States Army Air Forces officers Military personnel from Texas