Tom Wiesner

Thomas N. Wiesner In 1961, he was named the Wisconsin State Athlete of the Year. and Wiesner started the Holmes Tire West tire company, named after the Holmes Tire Company that he worked for in Madison, Wisconsin.

In 1970, Wiesner was elected to the Clark County Commission, defeating two-term Democrat Darwin Lamb. At the age of 31, Wiesner was the youngest person to ever be elected to the commission. In 1975, the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved Wiesner as one of the landlords of the new Marina hotel, despite state laws prohibiting enforcers of gambling laws from owing a casino license. Wiesner was approved because he would not be involved in the project's casino operations. The Marina was built by Wiesner Investment Company. Wiesner became known by the nickname of "Big Dog". According to the Las Vegas Sun, Wiesner got the nickname "not so much for being a prominent Las Vegas businessman, sports enthusiast and Republican party leader, but more for his love, loyalty and dedication to his community and family." Wiesner and his partners sold the Marina Hotel to Kirk Kerkorian in 1989. In 1990, Wiesner founded Big Dog's Hospitality Group, a local chain of Wisconsin-themed bar-restaurant-casino properties that included the Draft House, Wiesner had to persuade the state to change its laws to allow the operation of breweries in Las Vegas. In 1996, Wiesner ran unopposed and was elected to the Nevada State Higher Education System Board of Regents. In 1999, Wiesner was named "Educator of the Year" by the Nevada Restaurant Association.

In 2000, Wiesner was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. Later that year, Wiesner served as one of Nevada's electors in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

Personal life Wiesner married Lynn Geary, a schoolteacher, The couple had two children: Kari Lynn Wiesner (born 1969) and Kurt Thomas Wiesner (born 1971).

Wiesner died of leukemia at a Seattle hospital on June 25, 2002.

Remembrance A private memorial service was held in Seattle on the day of Wiesner's death. Governor Guinn, who wrote a condolence letter to Wiesner's wife, said, "Tom helped in many ways, from raising money for scholarships to helping fund buildings on campus in those early years, to working to start a football program at UNLV, Tom has been a part of it all."

A public memorial was held for Wiesner at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on July 16, 2002. Approximately 2,500 people attended the event. The Tom Wiesner Award was created in 2002, In 2008, Wiesner was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.