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Thomas Young, Sr. (1895-1971) founded a company that produced some of the most iconic casino signs in history.

Young, who was born in Great Britain and came to the United States as a teenager, started the Thomas Young Sign Company in Ogden, Utah, in 1920. After Nevada's 1931 legalization of commercial gaming, Young began producing signs for the growing Las Vegas casino industry. In 1945, Young created the first large-scale neon sign in Las Vegas for the Boulder Club, and in the same year opened a branch office of his company, now known as the Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) in Las Vegas.

In the 1940s and 1950s, YESCO produced some of Las Vegas' most iconic signs at the Golden Nugget, Las Vegas Club, Sliver Slipper, and Stardust. But the company's best-known work was Vegas Vic, a 75-foot, 12,000 pound mammoth cowboy that greeted Fremont Street from top the Pioneer Club. Vic would become one of Las Vegas' most famous landmarks.

Under Young's leadership, YESCO continued to provide signs to casinos in Nevada, and after his death in 1971, his son Thomas Jr. assumed control of the company. Today, when many casinos sport YESCO signs incorporating the latest display technology, Young Sr.'s vision of serving the gaming industry remains as strong as ever.