Carano, Cobb to be Honored at UNR Graduation Ceremonies

Gaming pioneer Donald Carano and political figure Tyrus Cobb will be part of the University of Nevada, Reno graduation ceremonies in May.

Both were honored as Distinguished Nevadans by the Nevada System of Higher Education, the governing body over the state’s public colleges including UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College.

Carano, a native of Reno, completed his undergraduate degree at the University of San Francisco, followed by two years in the U.S. Army as an officer.

He then attended USF Law School, graduating with honors. He was a member of the prestigious McDonald Carano Wilson law firm, and still maintains an “Of Counsel” relationship with the firm. Carano left active practice to build his own hotel/casino in 1973, the Eldorado Hotel and Casino.

In 1992, he entered a joint venture with Circus Circus Enterprises, with Mandalay Resorts/MGM, to create the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. In addition to parallel careers as attorney, hotelier and restaurateur, Carano became a winery owner in 1981 when he and wife Rhonda founded the acclaimed Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley.

In 1999, the Caranos bought two additional Sonoma County properties, the four-diamond hotel Vintners Inn, and the acclaimed restaurant, John Ash & Co. Carano’s numerous honors include the University of San Francisco Law School’s Alumnus of the Year; the highest civil decoration bestowed by Italy to an Italian living outside the country, “Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic”; and induction into the International Gaming and Wagering Business Hall of Fame.

Cobb served as Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan for national security affairs from 1983-1989. He initially served as Director of Soviet, European and Canadian Affairs, and from 1987-89 as Special Assistant to the President for International Security Issues. He was the Executive Secretary for President Reagan’s summits with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva (1985) and Reykjavik (1986). Cobb was also the President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security from 1991-1995, and President/CEO of the Yosemite National Institutes from 1995-2002.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1963 until he retired as a Colonel in 1987. He served overseas in Vietnam, Germany and Italy.

Cobb was born in Reno and received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University, his master’s degree from Indiana University, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Cobb is currently the CEO of the Northern Nevada Network.

Reno Gazette-Journal

By Siobhan McAndrew

April 13, 2017

About McDonald Carano

In 2024, McDonald Carano celebrated its 75ᵗʰ Anniversary of serving Nevada’s legal, business, government, and civic communities. More than 60 lawyers and government affairs professionals serve Nevada, national, and international clients from our offices in Reno, Las Vegas, and Carson City. McDonald Carano provides transactional, litigation, regulatory, and government affairs services to startups, corporations, private companies, trade associations, nonprofits, public entities, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices throughout Nevada. We are deeply committed to supporting local communities by volunteering our time, resources, and services, including pro bono legal services, to nonprofit organizations, charitable foundations, and public service entities. We are proud to be your Nevada law firm since 1949.

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