Guy Rocha dies: Longtime Nevada archivist was 73

Guy Rocha, a longtime Nevada archivist and historian known for his “myth-busting” newspaper columns and fierce advocacy for the truth, died on Thursday. He was 73.

Rocha died while in hospice care at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, his daughter, Victoria Rocha, said on Friday.

Guy Rocha played an integral role in revitalizing the Nevada State Archives, leading the state agency for 28 years before retiring in February 2009.

As a leading Nevada historian, Rocha worked with the Nevada Women’s History Project to install a statue of Sarah Winnemucca, a Northern Paiute writer and activist from the 1800s, in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall and wrote books about Nevada’s labor history, among other efforts.

Rocha’s fame revolved around his many public appearances speaking about Nevada’s history. He became a go-to source on public radio and television, hosting a weekly history program for 13 years and getting involved with documentary productions in Nevada. He also ran a syndicated newspaper column dedicated to debunking common myths and misconceptions in Nevada history.

‘Here’s Nevada’

“Nevada’s had a lower profile other than maybe the exotic aspects of the mob, prostitution and that type of thing,” Rocha said in a 2013 interview with a public access television station in Carson City. “I tried to say, here’s Nevada. It’s those things, and it’s all these other things too.”

Sara Jones, former administrator of the State Library and Archives, said Rocha’s myth-buster columns were a popular and fun way to get to the root of a story. Her favorite, she said, was one he wrote about the myth that the Nevada State Capitol dome was covered with silver. (It was actually tin-plated steel.)

She recalled how that willingness to be a leading Nevada historian would lead to many lunches and evenings as a guest speaker.

“I literally would go to some of those with him, and people would ask for his autograph,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s very many other state archivists like that.”

Rocha’s accessibility and willingness to go digging in the archives made him popular among journalists. Henry Brean, a reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal for 16 years, said he would often call upon Rocha to put current events into a historical context.

“The thing about Guy that made him a reporter’s dream was his commitment to getting things right and getting the facts straight,” Brean said. “You could always count on him to give you accurate information, or if he didn’t know the answer to something, to run it down for you in a way that you could trust.”

Journalists weren’t the only ones eager to pick his brain. Victoria Rocha recalled a time as a teenager when then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sought her father’s knowledge on a subject in Virginia City.

“We’re walking Sen. Reid around Virginia City, and my dad is telling him things, and he’s asking his questions, and we’re being accompanied, though, with Secret Service,” she said. “It was kind of a surreal experience for some 14-, 15-year-old kid.”

Multiple halls of fame

Rocha was born in California but moved to Nevada as a young child when his mother brought the family over to live in the state for its quickie divorces, he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2014. Rocha graduated from Clark High School, where he became a two-time state-champion high school wrestler.

He attended Syracuse University on a full-ride academic scholarship and San Diego State University for a master’s degree in American Studies. In 1975, he returned to Nevada to pursue a doctoral degree at University of Nevada, Reno.

A lifelong wrestler, Rocha continued his passion for the sport and education as a wrestling coach for Carson High School beginning in 1995. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for lifetime service to wrestling in 2009.

After retirement, Rocha spent several years continuing his advocacy for truth and Nevada history as a frequent guest speaker and Nevada history expert for journalists. He was inducted into the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2024.

Brian Allfrey, executive director of the Nevada Press Association and Nevada Press Foundation, said his legacy in the state’s journalism industry was “unmatched.”

“He was not only a tireless advocate for accuracy and truth, but also a trusted resource for countless reporters who relied on his deep knowledge of Nevada’s history,” Allfrey said. “His commitment to context, fairness, and factual integrity elevated journalism in our state and ensured that Nevadans could better understand their past and present. The Nevada Press Association recognizes him as one of the most important figures in shaping honest storytelling in Nevada.”

Rocha dealt with several health issues leading up to and after retirement, including a fight with glaucoma that led to him losing his sight.

Victoria Rocha said her father always centered his work on the importance of truth — whether that be in myth-busting or in finding ways to elevate the underrepresented voices in history.

“He just positioned himself as this 24/7 resource available to people, and I think that made him a great public servant,” Victoria Rocha said.

Along with his daughter, Guy Rocha is survived by his son, Shane Rocha, and his half-brother, Jim Palumbo.

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.