Arturo B. Cambeiro was born on April 19, 1932, in Havana, Cuba. There, he received a bachelor’s degree in science and architecture before migrating to the U.S. at 29 years old. He came with his family, who did not have very much and did not speak the language.
After living in Miami and Los Angeles, Mr. Cambeiro arrived in Las Vegas where he became Nevada’s first licensed Hispanic architect. By 1970, Mr. Cambeiro ran his own architectural company and designed famous education-related buildings. They include the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the Las Vegas Senior Center and several low-cost housing projects. Mr. Cambeiro and his company also designed more than 30 Clark County School District elementary schools, including his own namesake school which opened in 1996.
Mr. Cambeiro devoted countless hours to community services. He was a Clark County Planning Commissioner for 14 years, a chairman of the Nevada State Board of Architecture, a president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and more. He also co-founded the Latin Chamber of Commerce and served as the organization’s first president.
Mr. Cambeiro passed away in 1990. He believed schools were very important and represented a place for young minds to grow and flourish. Arturo Cambeiro Elementary School was dedicated in his honor in 1997.
