Elmer Rusco, 76; Expert on History of Race Relations in Nevada
Elmer Rusco, 76, expert on the history of race relations in Nevada, died Friday at his son’s home in Virginia of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He had lived in Reno.
A native of Haviland, Kan., Rusco taught political science at the University of Nevada, Reno, from 1963 to 1986. He was a founder and president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and active in Common Cause. Over the years, he participated in several sit-ins and demonstrations against racism and discrimination.
Rusco wrote numerous books about the history of race relations in the state including “Good Time Coming?: Black Nevadans in the Nineteenth Century.”
His interest was not limited to African Americans. Rusco also wrote widely about American Indians and the Chinese in Nevada and throughout the West.
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