America needs a statesperson of the stature, capability, and perspective of Daniel J. Evans as our next President.
Dan Evans died on September 20 at the age of 98 after serving as our state’s three term governor, two term U.S. Senator, a state legislator and in many prominent civic and public positions beginning in the late 1950s.
He was political and partisan, but Evans was pragmatic, tough and a problem-solver. He was a visionary who was not afraid to take a risk even if it meant his demise.
If you went against Dan Evans, you’d better do your homework. He was well prepared and well spoken. Evans, a civil engineer, had a plan: “Blueprint for Progress” which helped him become our state’s youngest governor at 39.
Puget Sound Business Journal columnist Patti Payne captured it best. During his time in office, there were hotly debated political issues, not unlike today. “But after the session, personal relationships were much better than now. Currently, anyone who’s not part of your caucus is an enemy,” he says.
The Seattle Times reported: “I would rather cross the aisle than cross the people,” Evans said in his 1973 inaugural address, a mantra he would repeat throughout his life.
Daniel J. Evans’ legacy is far-reaching and deep. He looms as one of the largest and most robust of the Pacific Northwest’s “tall timbers”. It was deeply rooted in his humble, genuine concern for people which cements his legacy.
The Times reported: “His embrace of Vietnamese refugees in the aftermath of the fall of Saigon in 1975 — amid resistance from then-Gov. Jerry Brown of California — proved to be one of his most lasting legacies. They were being driven from their home country, had no place to go, and we were trying to reject them? It didn’t make sense”.
The Times further added: Evans dispatched a top aide, Ralph Munro, who would later be secretary of state, to a California camp to tell the new arrivals they would be welcome in Washington.
Evans ordered every state agency to aid in resettlement. He asked churches and nonprofits to chip in. He recruited families to accept refugees into their homes.
On a personal note, I met Governor Evans while I was a college student in Montana. I was hired to operate a makeshift photo lab during the Western Governor’s Conference in West Yellowstone, MT, in 1967.
The star of the show was California Gov. Ronald Reagan who gave the keynote speech. When Reagan’s plane landed, photographers and reporters mobbed him.
He came down the ramp, waved to the crowd, loaded onto a horse-drawn stagecoach, rode down the road a bit, and then got into a limo for the remainder of the ride into town. It was quite a show and well-choreographed and made its way on to network news.
However, Reagan’s appearance was brief. Meanwhile, Evans brought his family to Yellowstone and participated in discussions with his fellow governors.
The Evans stayed for the bus tour of Yellowstone National Park. I was assigned to their bus and remember Dan Evans asking if I knew where the best place to spot bears. (Their young boys came to see bears).
My response: Do you have a car? Then it is the West Yellowstone garbage dump? He laughed.
Later when we moved to Washington, the story was a good icebreaker. I got to know him and was fortunate to work on issues in which he provided valuable guidance and advice.
Daniel J. Evans was a remarkable public servant who never lost touch with the needs of the people nor the reason why he was elected. He is exactly what American needs today.
—Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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