Personal stories sought for exhibit showing historical impact of Reno's lenient divorce laws

For nearly six decades, Reno was known as the divorce capital of the world because of liberal divorce laws that drew hundreds of thousands of estranged spouses from across the country, including Arthur Miller, Jack Dempsey, Clare Boothe Luce and Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.

Now, a group of Nevada historians is seeking to speak with those who traveled to Nevada for "quickie" divorces from roughly 1910 to 1970.

The University of Nevada, Reno, library's Special Collections Department plans to feature recorded interviews in an extensive multimedia online exhibit about Reno's 20th century divorce trade, which hastened the acceptance of divorce in America.

Project co-curator Mella Harmon says organizers are hoping people's stories about heading to Nevada for the "Reno cure" will lead to a better understanding about the divorce industry.