John Kell Houssels Jr.

Houssels was born in Denver, Colorado, on December 11, 1922, to John Kell Houssels, Sr., and Alice O'Shaughnessy Houssels. His father, originally a mining engineer, hearing that Nevada was about to legalize gaming, moved the family to Las Vegas in 1930 when J.K., Jr., was eight years old.

His father received one of the first gaming licenses in Las Vegas and converted the downtown Smoke Shop into the Las Vegas Club in 1931. At the time, the town's population was just 5,000.

J.K. Houssels, Jr. attended the Fifth Street School in Las Vegas, Brown Military Academy in San Diego, and the Lawrenceville Academy in New Jersey. His college training began at Stanford University in 1940, but was interrupted by World War II and his appointment to West Point, where he graduated in 1945. He returned to Stanford, entered law school, and became co-editor of Stanford's first law review. After graduation in 1948, he returned home to Las Vegas, passed the Nevada State Bar, and for two years served as an assistant district attorney. In 1950, he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly.

His association with gaming became more intimate after he moved his law office into the El Cortez Hotel, which was owned and operated by a partnership headed by his father. El Cortez Enterprises first leased and then bought the Showboat from the Desert Inn in 1955. Kell, Jr., became managing partner in 1957, its president after the Showboat became one of the first gaming corporations, and later chairman of the board.

In 1957, J.K. Houssels, Sr.'s respectability and gaming experience earned him the title of president and principal owner of the Tropicana Hotel. Kell, Jr., joined him at the Tropicana as vice president and general counsel. In 1959, Kell, Jr., finalized the contract to bring the Folies Bergere to its showroom. Its immediate success brought name recognition and prominence to the Tropicana and the Folies remained there for almost 50 years.

When Senior's health demanded additional leadership support, Houssels, Jr., was recruited to be the Tropicana's president, with his father moving up to chairman. Under the tutelage of the Houssels and thanks to a great supporting cast of executives and employees, the Tropicana became known as the "Tiffany of the Strip," combining elegance, good taste, and excitement, exemplified by Maynard Sloate productions in the lounge—The Blue Room—featuring such performers as Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Marlene Dietrich, Roger Williams, Pete Fountain, A1 Hirt, and Dave Brubeck.

When the Tropicana was sold, Houssels, Jr. departed from the hotel, but remained in the resort industry with the Showboat and as executive vice-president of the Union Plaza Hotel, which he later served as president and then vice-chairman. In 1980, he became president of Showboat, Incorporated, which later built and opened its hotel-casino in Atlantic City. After his elevation to chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Showboat, Inc., in 1988, the Showboat went international as a partner in Star City Casino in Sydney, Australia. He remained chairman until the 1998 sale of the corporation to Harrah's, now Caesars Entertainment.

Houssels, Jr. inherited his father's love of horse racing. Houssels, Sr., owned a thoroughbred farm in California where he bred and boarded race horses, and his son followed suit. At one time, Houssels, Sr. boarded his horses at a ranch that later became Sunset Park.

His industry contributions, for which he has been honored with induction into UNLV's Gaming Hall of Fame, included co-founding and serving two terms as president of the Nevada Resort Association. His community activities included service with the United Way as campaign chairman, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce board, Boy Scouts, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Las Vegas Founders Club, the Nevada Ballet Theatre, and the Board of Visitors of Stanford University Law School. After his parents died, Kell, Jr. donated their home to UNLV, where the Houssels House serves as the home of the UNLV Center for Social Justice.

While his community contributions on his own are many, his wife Nancy has been involved in many diverse activities to which Kell also contributed, including the founding and operation of the Nevada Ballet Theatre, the chair of the Nevada Arts Council, the UNLV Foundation, Nathan Adelson Hospice, United Campus Ministry, the Meadows School, and The Smith Center, of which they were founding members.

J.K. Houssels, Jr., is survived by his wife of 46 years, Nancy, and three of his five children: James O'Shaughnessy Houssels, Kelly Claire Houssels, and Eric Wallace Houssels. Leslie Jean Houssels passed away in 1981 and J.K. "Jake" Houssels III passed away in 2011. He is also survived by his grandchildren Dane, Will, Wyatt, Knox, and Walker Kell Houssels, and Bianca and Bella Chamberlin.

Private family services will be held, with a celebration of life memorial service to be announced later. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, the Nevada Ballet Theatre, or the Nathan Adelson Hospice.