Joxe K. Mallea-Olaetxe arrived in the United States from the Basque Country in the mid-1960s. He earned his PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1988. Mallea-Olaetxe is the author of Speaking Through the Aspens: Basque Tree Carvings in California and Nevada. He taught history and language classes at both UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College.
Jess Lopategui immigrated to Elko in 1957 and herded sheep from 1958 to 1965. He served as president of the Basque Club and, with his wife Denise and father-in-law Frank Arregui, was co-owner of the Elko Blacksmith Shop. After his retirement in 2006, he became more involved in researching the history of the Basques in Elko County.
