John Ascuaga - Friend of Sparks High School

John Ascuaga was born in Notus, Idaho to Jose and Marian Ascuaga. He had a twin sister, Rose, as well as one other brother and sister.

Although he never attended Sparks High, he had his fair share of fun at Notus High School. He was a yell leader for a year before he decided to move on to football, basketball, and baseball. He was also involved in student council, and the debate team as well as many other school activities. Mr. Ascuaga’s class prophecy, which was printed in his yearbook, actually predicted him to own “the biggest gambling den” in Reno. He said that when he graduated, he didn’t even know what a casino was!

After high school, John worked as a bellman to pay for college at the University of Idaho and later Washington State University, where he worked hard toward a hotel and restaurant management degree.

He came to Nevada in 1952, and in 1955, opened John Ascuaga’s Casino and Resort, never dreaming that the sixty-seat coffee shop with a few slot machines would become the business it is today.

His passion for education and success led him to create a scholarship that was open to area students. Today, the scholarship is offered every year to twenty-five students from twenty-three area schools, and many owe their success to this opportunity for scholarship. He is involved in several community and civic organizations and is highly respected in Northern Nevada as both a businessman and member of the community. Sparks High deeply thanks him for his past, present and future support.

Inducted 2006