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VOL. 14
NO. 9 NOVEMBER 2014
Serving without Limits: Dan and Nancy Evans Believe it or not, January, 2015 marks 50 years since Dan Evans took office as Governor of the State of Washington. He and his wife Nancy Bell Evans are still active and known to roll up their sleeves to help where they can, whether serving on advisory boards including the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs, voicing opinions in guest editorials or lending a hand to those in need. Last year the couple was recognized with a volunteer award from the YMCA of Greater Seattle. Addressing the impact of their service, the YMCA noted: “Dan and Nancy Evans have more than 100 years of combined service to our community, our nation and the world. The passion they brought to public service in Washington state when they were governor and first lady is as vibrant as ever today.”
Daniel J. Evans and Nancy Bell Evans …by Cassandra Tate
D
an and Nancy Evans have devoted more than half a century to public service, in and out of political office, with a level of commitment matched by few of their fellow citizens.
Last year, Dan and Nancy Evans were honored with the YMCA A.K. Guy Award for their “more than 100 years of combined service to our community, our nation and the world.” Photo by Phillipa Dugaw
the youngest governor in executive authority to establish the state history. He would State Indian Affairs Commission in go on to become the only 1967 and the State Women’s Council one (thus far) to serve in 1971. He pushed for tax reform, As a three-term governor of three consecutive terms. supporting unpopular (and ultimately Washington and later United States (He won his third term, unsuccessful) efforts to implement a senator, Dan Evans earned the in 1972, by defeating state income tax in 1970 and 1973. He nickname “Straight Arrow.” He was so Rosellini once again, in was a strong proponent of legislation to widely admired and his administration the latter’s final attempt at clean up the state’s air and water, restore 2015 marks 50 years since Dan Evans took office as Governor so untouched by scandal that a a political comeback.) areas damaged by strip mining, limit of Washington state prominent columnist once joked he was Evans set the tone for development of oil ports in the Strait of engineering design team. He served “no fun.” Nancy Evans has served on his administration in his first inaugural Juan de Fuca and protect endangered in the Navy during World War II and the boards of innumerable educational address when he declared, “This species. During his administration the Korean War. He opened a private and nonprofit organizations, including administration Washington became practice as an engineer in 1953. Whitman College, her alma mater. The is not ashamed the first state to create Evans’ political career began in 1956 of the word Evanses are known for the heft of their a Department of when he was elected to the Washington Rolodex and their willingness to tap conservative Ecology (in 1970) State House of Representatives, into it in support of various good causes. and it is not and the first to adopt Together they personify the term “power a Republican in a predominately afraid of the a coastal management Democratic state government. He couple” in Washington state. word liberal” program (in 1976). campaigned on a platform that called for (The Seattle Deep Roots Evans held office Both Daniel J. Evans (born in Seattle better roads, bridges and “metropolitan Times, 1993). during one of the planning.” Quiet and unassuming, he in 1925) and Nancy Bell Evans (born Like Teddy more challenging showed an early knack for forming in Spokane in 1933) have deep roots in Roosevelt, one periods in state bipartisan coalitions, a characteristic the Northwest. Evans’ great-grandfather of his political history. The Boeing that would mark his entire tenure in settled in Port Gamble in 1859. His heroes, he Company, then the politics. His fellow legislators voted him maternal grandfather represented frequently largest employer in Spokane in the Washington State Senate outstanding freshman. He was later crossed party the Puget Sound elected GOP minority floor leader. in 1893. His father once served as King lines. He region, lost several Dan and Nancy Evans with their three children important defense Meanwhile, Nancy Bell was studying once said he County Engineer. Nancy Bell’s father, music at Whitman College in Walla a mining engineer and native New would “rather in the Governor’s Mansion, March 15, 1968 contracts in the late Walla. She graduated with a Bachelor Yorker, settled in Spokane after a stop in cross the 1960s, triggering what of Arts degree in music in 1954 and did Vancouver, British Columbia. Both had aisle than cross the people,” adding that became known as the “Boeing Bust.” graduate work at Eastern Washington politically active, civic-minded parents. there are “no Republican schools or The unemployment rate rose to nearly University in Cheney before becoming Nancy once said that one of the lessons Democrat highways, no liberal salmon 14 percent. Meanwhile, frustrations over of her Depression-era childhood was that a music teacher and librarian in the or conservative parks" (The Seattle Times, the Vietnam War, civil rights, poverty even if you didn’t have much money, you Shoreline School District near Seattle. 2002). and other social issues occasionally boiled She met Dan during a ski trip arranged could donate your time. As governor, he pursued an agenda over into urban riots. Protest became by mutual friends. The Spokane girl and Evans put his toe into politics for that has often been described as almost a way of life on college campuses. the Seattle boy married in 1959. the first time in 1942, when he ran “passionately moderate.” He championed A self-described “contrarian,” Evans Three-Term Governor for junior class president at Roosevelt the cause of education, working with steered an independent course through In November 1964, Evans defeated High School. He lost. It was the last the 1967 Legislature to create the state those tumultuous times. He responded incumbent Governor Albert D. Rosellini, community college system, launch election he would ever lose. He earned to a series of demonstrations by black one of the few Republicans elected a master’s degree in civil engineering at Evergreen State College and provide students in 1969 by appointing the first during a Democratic landslide led by the University of Washington in 1949 higher levels of support for four-year African Americans to the boards of the and joined the City of Seattle’s structural President Lyndon Johnson. At 39, he was colleges and universities. He used his continued on page 22