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Evans was born in [[Ashland, Alabama]]<ref name=s312/> on September 26, 1881. As a young man, his family moved to [[Hubbard, Texas]].<ref name=max/> He attended [[Vanderbilt University]] and became a dentist,<ref name=s312/> receiving his licence in 1900.<ref name=max/> He established a small<ref name=p17/> dentistry practice in [[Dallas, Texas]]. His practice was moderately successful;<ref name=s312>Snell 1987, p. 312.</ref> it provided inexpensive dental services.<ref name=s3>Sims 1996, p. 3.</ref> He described himself as "the most average man in America".<ref name=p17>Pegram 2011, p. 17.</ref> He was average height and somewhat overweight,<ref name=p17/> but was well dressed, a skilled speaker, and very ambitious.<ref name=p18>Pegram 2011, p. 18.</ref>
Evans was born in [[Ashland, Alabama]]<ref name=s312/> on September 26, 1881. As a young man, his family moved to [[Hubbard, Texas]].<ref name=max/> He attended [[Vanderbilt University]] and became a dentist,<ref name=s312/> receiving his licence in 1900.<ref name=max/> He established a small<ref name=p17/> dentistry practice in [[Dallas, Texas]]. His practice was moderately successful;<ref name=s312>Snell 1987, p. 312.</ref> it provided inexpensive dental services.<ref name=s3>Sims 1996, p. 3.</ref> He described himself as "the most average man in America".<ref name=p17>Pegram 2011, p. 17.</ref> He was average height and somewhat overweight,<ref name=p17/> but was well dressed, a skilled speaker, and very ambitious.<ref name=p18>Pegram 2011, p. 18.</ref>


==Klan==
==Early Klan leadership==
Evans joined the Klu Klux Klan in 1920. That year, he left his dental practice of work for the group full time.<ref name=max>{{cite web|url= http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/EE/fev17.html |title= Hiram Wesley Evans |accessdate= |author= Lisa C. Maxwell |date= |work= [[The Handbook of Texas Online]] |publisher= [[Texas State Historical Association]] }}</ref> (He worked for the second Klan, which was established by failed minister of the [[Methodist Episcopal Church, South]].) In 1921,<ref name=max/> Evans was elected to the position of "exalted cyclops" of the Dallas Klan No. 66. The "exalted cyclops" was an equivalent position to a [[kleagle]]. At the time that Evans was elected, the Dallas Klan had recently received a "self-ruling charter" from the Atlanta-based Klan leadership. As leader of the Dallas Klan, Evans was part of a group of Klan members who kidnapped a black bellhop from a local hotel because they suspected that he was involved in [[Procuring (prostitution)|pandering prostitutes]]. The group brutally beat the bellhop and burnt his face with acid.<ref name=j7>Jenkins 1990, p. 7.</ref> The next year, he was appointed the "great titan" (an executive role) of the "Realm of Texas".<ref name=max/> In Texas, Evans led a membership drive. As the Texas drive was a success, he was assigned responsibility of the national membership drive.<ref name=m18>Moore 1997, p. 18.</ref> The Klan headquarters made him the "Imperial kligrapp", a role similar to national secretary. In this role, Evans condemned vigilante activity because he feared it would attract government scrutiny and hinder potential Klan-backed political campaigns.<ref name=j7/>
Evans joined the Klu Klux Klan in 1920. That year, he left his dental practice of work for the group full time.<ref name=max>{{cite web|url= http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/EE/fev17.html |title= Hiram Wesley Evans |accessdate= |author= Lisa C. Maxwell |date= |work= [[The Handbook of Texas Online]] |publisher= [[Texas State Historical Association]] }}</ref> (He worked for the second Klan, which was established by failed minister of the [[Methodist Episcopal Church, South]].) In 1921,<ref name=max/> Evans was elected to the position of "exalted cyclops" of the Dallas Klan No. 66. The "exalted cyclops" was an equivalent position to a [[kleagle]]. At the time that Evans was elected, the Dallas Klan had recently received a "self-ruling charter" from the Atlanta-based Klan leadership. As leader of the Dallas Klan, Evans was part of a group of Klan members who kidnapped a black bellhop from a local hotel because they suspected that he was involved in [[Procuring (prostitution)|pandering prostitutes]]. The group brutally beat the bellhop and burnt his face with acid.<ref name=j7>Jenkins 1990, p. 7.</ref> The next year, he was appointed the "great titan" (an executive role) of the "Realm of Texas".<ref name=max/> In Texas, Evans led a membership drive. As the Texas drive was a success, he was assigned responsibility of the national membership drive.<ref name=m18>Moore 1997, p. 18.</ref> The Klan headquarters made him the "Imperial kligrapp", a role similar to national secretary. In this role, Evans condemned vigilante activity because he feared it would attract government scrutiny and hinder potential Klan-backed political campaigns.<ref name=j7/>


==Leadership conflicts==
[[William Joseph Simmons]] led the Klan until the early 1920s. [[Elizabeth Tyler (KKK organizer)|Elizabeth Tyler]] and [[Edward Young Clarke]] orchestrated a reorganization of the Klan that removed Simmons' practical control of the group. Evans, an ally of Tyler and Clarke, was given control of the group. At a November 1922 "Klovokation" in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], Evans was formally ensconced as leader of the Klan.<ref name=b22>Blee 2009, p. 22.</ref> Leonard Moore speculates that Stephenson also played a role in Evans' elevation to leader, and suggests that he was given a leadership role in the Indiana Klan as a reward.<ref name=m18/> Evans soon dismissed Tyler and Clarke from their roles in the group, and, against Simmons' wishes, refused to reinstate them.<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> As leader of the Klan, Evans appointed [[D. C. Stephenson]] as the kleagle<ref name=b94/> and Grand Dragon<ref name=m19>Moore 1997, p. 19.</ref> of [[Indiana]].<ref name=b94/> Their relationship soon became acrimonious:<ref name=m46>Moore 1997, p. 46.</ref> Stephenson clashed with Evans over the amount of membership fees that he would receive as leader of the Indiana Klan<ref name=m19/> and Evans' refusal to help fund the purchase of a school in Indiana.<ref name=m93>Moore 1997, p. 93.</ref> Evans removed Stephenson from his position in early 1924.<ref name=m46/> Stephenson had been a skilled campaigner and demagogue,<ref name=b94/> and he remained a well-known advocate of the Klan's platforms after being relieved of his official role in the group.<ref name=m46/> The Klan saw significant electoral success in that state in 1924. After this success, Stephenson showed further disdain for Evans and the Klan leadership.<ref name=b94>Blee 2009, p. 94.</ref> Moore writes that Evans paid particular attention to the Indiana Klan, as it was the largest state organization within the Klan and he sought to profit from it as much as he could.<ref name=m93/>
[[William Joseph Simmons]] led the Klan until the early 1920s. [[Elizabeth Tyler (KKK organizer)|Elizabeth Tyler]] and [[Edward Young Clarke]] orchestrated a reorganization of the Klan that removed Simmons' practical control of the group. Evans, an ally of Tyler and Clarke, was given control of the group. At a November 1922 "Klovokation" in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], Evans was formally ensconced as leader of the Klan.<ref name=b22>Blee 2009, p. 22.</ref> Leonard Moore speculates that Stephenson also played a role in Evans' elevation to leader, and suggests that he was given a leadership role in the Indiana Klan as a reward.<ref name=m18/> Evans soon dismissed Tyler and Clarke from their roles in the group, and, against Simmons' wishes, refused to reinstate them.<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> As leader of the Klan, Evans appointed [[D. C. Stephenson]] as the kleagle<ref name=b94/> and Grand Dragon<ref name=m19>Moore 1997, p. 19.</ref> of [[Indiana]].<ref name=b94/> Their relationship soon became acrimonious:<ref name=m46>Moore 1997, p. 46.</ref> Stephenson clashed with Evans over the amount of membership fees that he would receive as leader of the Indiana Klan<ref name=m19/> and Evans' refusal to help fund the purchase of a school in Indiana.<ref name=m93>Moore 1997, p. 93.</ref> Evans removed Stephenson from his position in early 1924.<ref name=m46/> Stephenson had been a skilled campaigner and demagogue,<ref name=b94/> and he remained a well-known advocate of the Klan's platforms after being relieved of his official role in the group.<ref name=m46/> The Klan saw significant electoral success in that state in 1924. After this success, Stephenson showed further disdain for Evans and the Klan leadership.<ref name=b94>Blee 2009, p. 94.</ref> Moore writes that Evans paid particular attention to the Indiana Klan, as it was the largest state organization within the Klan and he sought to profit from it as much as he could.<ref name=m93/>


Stephenson and Simmons each attempted to create women's organizations to serve as auxiliary groups to the Klan. In response, Evans created a women's group and sued Simmons for organizing his women's group under the name of the Klan. Evans won the lawsuit, prompting Simmons to resign from the Klan. Evans and Stephenson each circulated allegations of sexual impropriety against each other.<ref name=b27>Blee 2009, p. 27.</ref> Stephenson was soon charged with the rape and murder of a young woman; he alleged that the charges were orchestrated by operatives loyal to Evans.<ref name=b95>Blee 2009, p. 95.</ref> Evans also clashed with Henry Grady, a judge from [[North Carolina]] who served as a Grand Dragon in the Klan. Grady had been seen as a potential successor to Simmons, but Evans revoked his membership after he dismissed as unconstitutional a bill that would have banned the [[Knights of Columbus]]. After he left the Klan, Grady leaked his correspondence with Evans to local media.<ref name=s35>Sims 1996, p. 35.</ref>
Although membership in the Klan was limited to men, in 1921, several groups were formed for women who supported the movement.<ref name=n75>Newton 2010, p. 75.</ref> Simmons attempted to create women's organizations. In response, Evans created a women's group and sued Simmons for organizing his women's group under the name of the Klan. Evans won the lawsuit, prompting Simmons to resign from the Klan.<ref name=b27/> In June 1923, Evans formed a auxiliary group known as the Women of the Klu Klux Klan.<ref name=n75/> He also formed Klan-themed groups for boys and girls.<ref name=n76>Newton 2010, p. 76.</ref>


Stephenson also formed a women's auxiliary group, to Evans' consternation. Evans and Stephenson each circulated allegations of sexual impropriety against each other.<ref name=b27>Blee 2009, p. 27.</ref> Stephenson was soon charged with the rape and murder of a young woman; he alleged that the charges were orchestrated by operatives loyal to Evans.<ref name=b95>Blee 2009, p. 95.</ref> Evans also clashed with Henry Grady, a judge from [[North Carolina]] who served as a Grand Dragon in the Klan. Grady had been seen as a potential successor to Simmons, but Evans revoked his membership after he dismissed as unconstitutional a bill that would have banned the [[Knights of Columbus]]. After he left the Klan, Grady leaked his correspondence with Evans to local media.<ref name=s35>Sims 1996, p. 35.</ref>
⚫
[[File:HW Evans leading his Knights Crisco edit.jpg|thumb|Evans leading his Knights of the Klan on the parade held in Washington, D.C. on September 13, 1926]]
==National organizing==
Under Evans' leadership, the Klan initially grew.<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> As leader of the Klan, Evans sought to stop members of the group from engaging in violence. He felt that such actions would make it thwart the organizations efforts to become politically influential. However, his efforts to elect Klansmen to public offices in 1924 saw limited success.<ref name=g17>Gitlin 2009, p. 17.</ref> At that time, the Klan had four million members. In 1925, the group also encountered difficulties after the murder conviction of D. C. Stephenson, a former [[Grand Wizard]] in the Klan, and corruption scandals of several Klan-friendly politicians. The negative publicity from these incidents led to a massive drop in Klan membership across the United States. In response to the troubles, Evans organized a large rally that year in [[Washington D.C.]] It was hoped that a large turnout would demonstrate the Klan's power. About 30,000 Klan members attended the event, making it the largest rally in the group's history. Evans was disappointed, however, as he had expected double the attendance at the event. Over the next several years the Klan's membership sharply declined.<ref name=g17>Gitlin 2009, p. 19&ndash;20.</ref>
Under Evans' leadership, the Klan initially grew.<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> As leader of the Klan, Evans sought to stop members of the group from engaging in violence. He felt that such actions would make it thwart the organizations efforts to become politically influential. However, his efforts to elect Klansmen to public offices in 1924 saw limited success.<ref name=g17>Gitlin 2009, p. 17.</ref> At that time, the Klan had four million members. In 1925, the group also encountered difficulties after the murder conviction of D. C. Stephenson, a former [[Grand Wizard]] in the Klan, and corruption scandals of several Klan-friendly politicians. The negative publicity from these incidents led to a massive drop in Klan membership across the United States. In response to the troubles, Evans organized a large rally that year in [[Washington D.C.]] It was hoped that a large turnout would demonstrate the Klan's power. About 30,000 Klan members attended the event, making it the largest rally in the group's history. Evans was disappointed, however, as he had expected double the attendance at the event. Over the next several years the Klan's membership sharply declined.<ref name=g17>Gitlin 2009, p. 19&ndash;20.</ref>
⚫
[[File:TIME H W Evans cover 1924.jpg|thumb|Evans on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 23, 1924]]


⚫
[[File:HW Evans leading his Knights Crisco edit.jpg|thumb|Evans leading his Knights of the Klan on the parade held in Washington, D.C. on September 13, 1926]]
He oversaw the largest parade of Klansmen ever. Some 40,000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan paraded down [[Pennsylvania Avenue]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in August 1925.<ref name="splc"/><ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |quote=Hiram Wesley Evans, Imperial Wizard, resplendent in purple and gold, smiled and bowed hat in hand as he proudly led some 30,000 to 50,000 Klansmen and Klanswomen down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the Treasury. |title= Procession |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,720745,00.html |work= [[Time (magazine)]] |publisher= |date= August 17, 1925 }}</ref> At its peak in the mid-1920s, the organization included about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men.<ref>According to the 1920 census, the population of white males 18 years and older was about 31 million, but many of these men would have been ineligible for membership because they were immigrants, Jews, or Roman Catholics.</ref><ref name="aahist">{{cite web |url= http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2207/The_Ku_Klux_Klan_a_brief__biography |title= The Ku Klux Klan, a brief biography |accessdate= |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher= [[The African American Registry]] }}</ref> In September 1926, Evans tried to repeat the parade but many fewer marchers arrived compared to 1925. Evans was a [[Freemasonry|Mason]] who boasted of having helped [[United States presidential election, 1924|re-elect]] [[Calvin Coolidge]] as [[President of the United States]], of having secured passage of strict anti-immigration laws and of having checked the ambitions of Roman Catholics and others intent on "perverting" the nation.<ref name="splc">{{cite web |url= http://www.iupui.edu/~aao/kkk.html |title= A Hundred Years of Terror |accessdate= |author= A special report prepared by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] |date= |work= |publisher= [[Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis]] }}</ref>
He oversaw the largest parade of Klansmen ever. Some 40,000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan paraded down [[Pennsylvania Avenue]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in August 1925.<ref name="splc"/><ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |quote=Hiram Wesley Evans, Imperial Wizard, resplendent in purple and gold, smiled and bowed hat in hand as he proudly led some 30,000 to 50,000 Klansmen and Klanswomen down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the Treasury. |title= Procession |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,720745,00.html |work= [[Time (magazine)]] |publisher= |date= August 17, 1925 }}</ref> At its peak in the mid-1920s, the organization included about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men.<ref>According to the 1920 census, the population of white males 18 years and older was about 31 million, but many of these men would have been ineligible for membership because they were immigrants, Jews, or Roman Catholics.</ref><ref name="aahist">{{cite web |url= http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2207/The_Ku_Klux_Klan_a_brief__biography |title= The Ku Klux Klan, a brief biography |accessdate= |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher= [[The African American Registry]] }}</ref> In September 1926, Evans tried to repeat the parade but many fewer marchers arrived compared to 1925. Evans was a [[Freemasonry|Mason]] who boasted of having helped [[United States presidential election, 1924|re-elect]] [[Calvin Coolidge]] as [[President of the United States]], of having secured passage of strict anti-immigration laws and of having checked the ambitions of Roman Catholics and others intent on "perverting" the nation.<ref name="splc">{{cite web |url= http://www.iupui.edu/~aao/kkk.html |title= A Hundred Years of Terror |accessdate= |author= A special report prepared by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] |date= |work= |publisher= [[Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis]] }}</ref>


In 1928, Evans opposed [[Al Smith]]'s candidacy for President of the U.S., and boldly claimed responsibility for his loss.<ref name=n96>Newton 2010, p. 96.</ref>

==Political and legal issues==
In 1934, Evans again encountered public controversy after it was revealed that he planned to travel to [[Louisiana]] to campaign against [[Huey Long]], who was then planning on running for President in [[United States presidential election, 1936|1936]]. Long learned of Evans' plans, and condemned him in a speech at the [[Louisiana State Legislature]]. Long derided Evans as a "tooth-puller" and an "Imperial bastard" and warned of grave consequences should he follow through on his plans to publicly campaign in Louisiana. After Long's speech, Evans cancelled his plans to campaign in Louisiana.<ref name=s3/>
In 1934, Evans again encountered public controversy after it was revealed that he planned to travel to [[Louisiana]] to campaign against [[Huey Long]], who was then planning on running for President in [[United States presidential election, 1936|1936]]. Long learned of Evans' plans, and condemned him in a speech at the [[Louisiana State Legislature]]. Long derided Evans as a "tooth-puller" and an "Imperial bastard" and warned of grave consequences should he follow through on his plans to publicly campaign in Louisiana. After Long's speech, Evans cancelled his plans to campaign in Louisiana.<ref name=s3/>

Evans resigned his leadership of the Klan in June 1939. [[James A. Colescott]] became the next Imperial Wizard.<ref name=n100>Newton 2010, p. 100.</ref>


In 1942, he was put on trial for conspiracy, which ended in a mistrial.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Mistrial Is Declared In Evans Conspiracy Case |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/278312652.html?dids=278312652:278312652&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+13%2C+1942&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=Mistrial+Is+Declared+In+Evans+Conspiracy+Case&pqatl=google |quote=A mistrial was declared yesterday in the case of Hiram Wesley Evans, former national chief of the Ku Klux Klan, who was charged with conspiracy to defraud the State of Georgia. |work=[[Christian Science Monitor]] |date=June 13, 1942 |accessdate=2009-02-11 }}</ref>
In 1942, he was put on trial for conspiracy, which ended in a mistrial.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Mistrial Is Declared In Evans Conspiracy Case |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/278312652.html?dids=278312652:278312652&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+13%2C+1942&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=Mistrial+Is+Declared+In+Evans+Conspiracy+Case&pqatl=google |quote=A mistrial was declared yesterday in the case of Hiram Wesley Evans, former national chief of the Ku Klux Klan, who was charged with conspiracy to defraud the State of Georgia. |work=[[Christian Science Monitor]] |date=June 13, 1942 |accessdate=2009-02-11 }}</ref>


==Views==
==Views==
Evans attempted to appeal to white Americans by casting the Klan's platforms as science-based ideas, rather than moral concepts. He publicly justified his opposition to miscegenation and Catholic and Jewish immigration by arguing that it was necessary to ensure genetic "good stock".<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> He also justified his opposition to Catholicism on the grounds that the Catholic church sought to take control of the United States government.<ref name=m20>Moore 1997, p. 20.</ref> Evans argued that he was not an [[anti-Semite]], but nevertheless maintained that Jews were more materialistic than other Americans and did not contribute to or assimilate into American culture.<ref name=m201>Moore 1997, p. 20&ndash;21.</ref> He also feared that immigrants would promote ideologies such as [[anarchism]] and [[communism]] in the United States.<ref name=m21>Moore 1997, p. 21.</ref>
Evans attempted to appeal to white Americans by casting the Klan's platforms as science-based ideas, rather than moral concepts. He publicly justified his opposition to miscegenation and Catholic and Jewish immigration by arguing that it was necessary to ensure genetic "good stock".<ref name=b23>Blee 2009, p. 23.</ref> He opposed immigrants on political grounds, arguing that they would promote ideologies such as [[anarchism]] and [[communism]].<ref name=m21>Moore 1997, p. 21.</ref>

Evans justified his opposition to Catholicism on the grounds that the Catholic church sought to take control of the United States government.<ref name=m20>Moore 1997, p. 20.</ref> He argued that Catholics should be barred from immigration to the U.S. because their faith affected their "mental nature", to the extent that it caused widespread poverty in majority-Catholic countries.<ref name=n80>Newton 2010, p. 80.</ref>

Evans argued that he was not an [[anti-Semite]], but nevertheless maintained that Jews were more materialistic than other Americans and did not contribute to or assimilate into American culture.<ref name=m201>Moore 1997, p. 20&ndash;21.</ref> He cited Jewish involvement with the "motion picture industry", [[jazz]], and "sex publications" as reasons to stop Jewish immigration.<ref name=n80/>


Evans also wrote about education in the United States. He cited the nation's illiteracy rate as evidence that American public schools were failing the country. He blamed low teacher salaries and lack of regulation of child labor as key obstacles to educational reform.<ref name=m36>Moore 1997, p. 36.</ref> The creation of the [[Department of Education]] was also backed by the Klan under Evans' leadership. It was hoped that improvements in public school would help "Americanize the foreigners" and thwart the recruitment efforts of Catholic schools.<ref name=m37>Moore 1997, p. 37.</ref>
Evans also wrote about education in the United States. He cited the nation's illiteracy rate as evidence that American public schools were failing the country. He blamed low teacher salaries and lack of regulation of child labor as key obstacles to educational reform.<ref name=m36>Moore 1997, p. 36.</ref> The creation of the [[Department of Education]] was also backed by the Klan under Evans' leadership. It was hoped that improvements in public school would help "Americanize the foreigners" and thwart the recruitment efforts of Catholic schools.<ref name=m37>Moore 1997, p. 37.</ref>
Line 71: Line 84:


==Legacy and reception==
==Legacy and reception==
⚫
[[File:TIME H W Evans cover 1924.jpg|thumb|Evans on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 23, 1924]]
William D. Jenkins maintains that Evans was "personally corrupt and more interested in money or power than a cause".<ref name=jvii>Jenkins 1990, p. vii.</ref>
William D. Jenkins maintains that Evans was "personally corrupt and more interested in money or power than a cause".<ref name=jvii>Jenkins 1990, p. vii.</ref>


More negative press, reports of Klan's violence and attention of politicians led to flight of many members. During the [[Great Depression]] of 1930s the membership shrunk further to an estimated 30,000.<ref name="aahist"/> Evans was succeeded as the Imperial Wizard by [[James A. Colescott]]. He left him the Klan much weakened, compared to the situation when he began his leadership.
More negative press, reports of Klan's violence and attention of politicians led to flight of many members. During the [[Great Depression]] of 1930s the membership shrunk further to an estimated 30,000.<ref name="aahist"/> He left him the Klan much weakened, compared to the situation when he began his leadership.


==Publications==
==Publications==
Line 91: Line 103:
*{{citation|last=Jenkins|first=William D.|title=Steel Valley Klan: The Ku Klux Klan in Ohio's Mahoning Valley|year=1990|publisher=[[Kent State University Press]]|isbn=978-0-87338-694-4}}
*{{citation|last=Jenkins|first=William D.|title=Steel Valley Klan: The Ku Klux Klan in Ohio's Mahoning Valley|year=1990|publisher=[[Kent State University Press]]|isbn=978-0-87338-694-4}}
*{{citation|last=Moore|first=Leonard Joseph|title=Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, 1921-1928|year=1997|publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]]|isbn=978-0-8078-4627-8}}
*{{citation|last=Moore|first=Leonard Joseph|title=Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, 1921-1928|year=1997|publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]]|isbn=978-0-8078-4627-8}}
*{{citation|last=Newton|first=Michael|title=The Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi: a history|year=2010|publisher=[[McFarland]]|isbn=978-0-7864-4653-7}}
*{{citation|last=Pegram|first=Thomas R.|title=One Hundred Percent American: The Rebirth and Decline of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s|year=2011|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=978-1-56663-711-4}}
*{{citation|last=Pegram|first=Thomas R.|title=One Hundred Percent American: The Rebirth and Decline of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s|year=2011|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=978-1-56663-711-4}}
*{{citation|last=Sims|first=Patsy|title=The Klan|year=1996|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|isbn=978-0-8131-0887-2}}
*{{citation|last=Sims|first=Patsy|title=The Klan|year=1996|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|isbn=978-0-8131-0887-2}}

Revision as of 16:56, 3 March 2012

For other people named Hiram Evans, see Hiram Evans (disambiguation).
Hiram Wesley Evans
Evans Washington, D.C. on September 13, 1926
Born(1881-09-26)September 26, 1881
Ashland, Alabama
DiedSeptember 14, 1966(1966-09-14) (aged 84)
Atlanta, Georgia
EducationVanderbilt University
EmployerKu Klux Klan
TitleImperial Wizard
Political partyDemocratic Party (United States)

Hiram Wesley Evans (September 26, 1881 – September 14, 1966) was Imperial Wizard of the "second" Ku Klux Klan from 1922 until 1939. Evans succeeded William Joseph Simmons in the position of the Imperial Wizard in November 1922. Simmons was at the same time elected Emperor for life.[1]

Early life and education

Evans was born in Ashland, Alabama[2] on September 26, 1881. As a young man, his family moved to Hubbard, Texas.[3] He attended Vanderbilt University and became a dentist,[2] receiving his licence in 1900.[3] He established a small[4] dentistry practice in Dallas, Texas. His practice was moderately successful;[2] it provided inexpensive dental services.[5] He described himself as "the most average man in America".[4] He was average height and somewhat overweight,[4] but was well dressed, a skilled speaker, and very ambitious.[6]

Early Klan leadership

Evans joined the Klu Klux Klan in 1920. That year, he left his dental practice of work for the group full time.[3] (He worked for the second Klan, which was established by failed minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.) In 1921,[3] Evans was elected to the position of "exalted cyclops" of the Dallas Klan No. 66. The "exalted cyclops" was an equivalent position to a kleagle. At the time that Evans was elected, the Dallas Klan had recently received a "self-ruling charter" from the Atlanta-based Klan leadership. As leader of the Dallas Klan, Evans was part of a group of Klan members who kidnapped a black bellhop from a local hotel because they suspected that he was involved in pandering prostitutes. The group brutally beat the bellhop and burnt his face with acid.[7] The next year, he was appointed the "great titan" (an executive role) of the "Realm of Texas".[3] In Texas, Evans led a membership drive. As the Texas drive was a success, he was assigned responsibility of the national membership drive.[8] The Klan headquarters made him the "Imperial kligrapp", a role similar to national secretary. In this role, Evans condemned vigilante activity because he feared it would attract government scrutiny and hinder potential Klan-backed political campaigns.[7]

Leadership conflicts

William Joseph Simmons led the Klan until the early 1920s. Elizabeth Tyler and Edward Young Clarke orchestrated a reorganization of the Klan that removed Simmons' practical control of the group. Evans, an ally of Tyler and Clarke, was given control of the group. At a November 1922 "Klovokation" in Atlanta, Georgia, Evans was formally ensconced as leader of the Klan.[9] Leonard Moore speculates that Stephenson also played a role in Evans' elevation to leader, and suggests that he was given a leadership role in the Indiana Klan as a reward.[8] Evans soon dismissed Tyler and Clarke from their roles in the group, and, against Simmons' wishes, refused to reinstate them.[10] As leader of the Klan, Evans appointed D. C. Stephenson as the kleagle[11] and Grand Dragon[12] of Indiana.[11] Their relationship soon became acrimonious:[13] Stephenson clashed with Evans over the amount of membership fees that he would receive as leader of the Indiana Klan[12] and Evans' refusal to help fund the purchase of a school in Indiana.[14] Evans removed Stephenson from his position in early 1924.[13] Stephenson had been a skilled campaigner and demagogue,[11] and he remained a well-known advocate of the Klan's platforms after being relieved of his official role in the group.[13] The Klan saw significant electoral success in that state in 1924. After this success, Stephenson showed further disdain for Evans and the Klan leadership.[11] Moore writes that Evans paid particular attention to the Indiana Klan, as it was the largest state organization within the Klan and he sought to profit from it as much as he could.[14]

Although membership in the Klan was limited to men, in 1921, several groups were formed for women who supported the movement.[15] Simmons attempted to create women's organizations. In response, Evans created a women's group and sued Simmons for organizing his women's group under the name of the Klan. Evans won the lawsuit, prompting Simmons to resign from the Klan.[16] In June 1923, Evans formed a auxiliary group known as the Women of the Klu Klux Klan.[15] He also formed Klan-themed groups for boys and girls.[17]

Stephenson also formed a women's auxiliary group, to Evans' consternation. Evans and Stephenson each circulated allegations of sexual impropriety against each other.[16] Stephenson was soon charged with the rape and murder of a young woman; he alleged that the charges were orchestrated by operatives loyal to Evans.[18] Evans also clashed with Henry Grady, a judge from North Carolina who served as a Grand Dragon in the Klan. Grady had been seen as a potential successor to Simmons, but Evans revoked his membership after he dismissed as unconstitutional a bill that would have banned the Knights of Columbus. After he left the Klan, Grady leaked his correspondence with Evans to local media.[19]

Evans leading his Knights of the Klan on the parade held in Washington, D.C. on September 13, 1926

National organizing

Under Evans' leadership, the Klan initially grew.[10] As leader of the Klan, Evans sought to stop members of the group from engaging in violence. He felt that such actions would make it thwart the organizations efforts to become politically influential. However, his efforts to elect Klansmen to public offices in 1924 saw limited success.[20] At that time, the Klan had four million members. In 1925, the group also encountered difficulties after the murder conviction of D. C. Stephenson, a former Grand Wizard in the Klan, and corruption scandals of several Klan-friendly politicians. The negative publicity from these incidents led to a massive drop in Klan membership across the United States. In response to the troubles, Evans organized a large rally that year in Washington D.C. It was hoped that a large turnout would demonstrate the Klan's power. About 30,000 Klan members attended the event, making it the largest rally in the group's history. Evans was disappointed, however, as he had expected double the attendance at the event. Over the next several years the Klan's membership sharply declined.[20]

Evans on the cover of Time, June 23, 1924

He oversaw the largest parade of Klansmen ever. Some 40,000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., in August 1925.[21][22] At its peak in the mid-1920s, the organization included about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men.[23][24] In September 1926, Evans tried to repeat the parade but many fewer marchers arrived compared to 1925. Evans was a Mason who boasted of having helped re-elect Calvin Coolidge as President of the United States, of having secured passage of strict anti-immigration laws and of having checked the ambitions of Roman Catholics and others intent on "perverting" the nation.[21]

In 1928, Evans opposed Al Smith's candidacy for President of the U.S., and boldly claimed responsibility for his loss.[25]

Political and legal issues

In 1934, Evans again encountered public controversy after it was revealed that he planned to travel to Louisiana to campaign against Huey Long, who was then planning on running for President in 1936. Long learned of Evans' plans, and condemned him in a speech at the Louisiana State Legislature. Long derided Evans as a "tooth-puller" and an "Imperial bastard" and warned of grave consequences should he follow through on his plans to publicly campaign in Louisiana. After Long's speech, Evans cancelled his plans to campaign in Louisiana.[5]

Evans resigned his leadership of the Klan in June 1939. James A. Colescott became the next Imperial Wizard.[26]

In 1942, he was put on trial for conspiracy, which ended in a mistrial.[27]

Views

Evans attempted to appeal to white Americans by casting the Klan's platforms as science-based ideas, rather than moral concepts. He publicly justified his opposition to miscegenation and Catholic and Jewish immigration by arguing that it was necessary to ensure genetic "good stock".[10] He opposed immigrants on political grounds, arguing that they would promote ideologies such as anarchism and communism.[28]

Evans justified his opposition to Catholicism on the grounds that the Catholic church sought to take control of the United States government.[29] He argued that Catholics should be barred from immigration to the U.S. because their faith affected their "mental nature", to the extent that it caused widespread poverty in majority-Catholic countries.[30]

Evans argued that he was not an anti-Semite, but nevertheless maintained that Jews were more materialistic than other Americans and did not contribute to or assimilate into American culture.[31] He cited Jewish involvement with the "motion picture industry", jazz, and "sex publications" as reasons to stop Jewish immigration.[30]

Evans also wrote about education in the United States. He cited the nation's illiteracy rate as evidence that American public schools were failing the country. He blamed low teacher salaries and lack of regulation of child labor as key obstacles to educational reform.[32] The creation of the Department of Education was also backed by the Klan under Evans' leadership. It was hoped that improvements in public school would help "Americanize the foreigners" and thwart the recruitment efforts of Catholic schools.[33]

Death

Evans died in September 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia.[3]

Legacy and reception

William D. Jenkins maintains that Evans was "personally corrupt and more interested in money or power than a cause".[34]

More negative press, reports of Klan's violence and attention of politicians led to flight of many members. During the Great Depression of 1930s the membership shrunk further to an estimated 30,000.[24] He left him the Klan much weakened, compared to the situation when he began his leadership.

Publications

  • The Menace of Modern Immigration (1923)
  • The Klan of Tomorrow (1924)
  • Alienism in the Democracy (1927)
  • The Rising Storm (1929)
  • The Klan Fights for Americanism (1926).

References

  1. ^ "Klan Makes Simmons Emperor For Life. Dr. H.W. Evans of Dallas Is the New Imperial Wizard. Clarke Imperial Giant". The New York Times. November 29, 1922. Colonel William Joseph Simmons, formerly Imperial Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, was elected "Emperor" for life, a new position in the order, at today's session of the Imperial Klanvokation here. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Snell 1987, p. 312.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lisa C. Maxwell. "Hiram Wesley Evans". The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  4. ^ a b c Pegram 2011, p. 17.
  5. ^ a b Sims 1996, p. 3.
  6. ^ Pegram 2011, p. 18.
  7. ^ a b Jenkins 1990, p. 7.
  8. ^ a b Moore 1997, p. 18.
  9. ^ Blee 2009, p. 22.
  10. ^ a b c Blee 2009, p. 23.
  11. ^ a b c d Blee 2009, p. 94.
  12. ^ a b Moore 1997, p. 19.
  13. ^ a b c Moore 1997, p. 46.
  14. ^ a b Moore 1997, p. 93.
  15. ^ a b Newton 2010, p. 75.
  16. ^ a b Blee 2009, p. 27.
  17. ^ Newton 2010, p. 76.
  18. ^ Blee 2009, p. 95.
  19. ^ Sims 1996, p. 35.
  20. ^ a b Gitlin 2009, p. 17. Cite error: The named reference "g17" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  21. ^ a b A special report prepared by the Southern Poverty Law Center. "A Hundred Years of Terror". Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
  22. ^ "Procession". Time (magazine). August 17, 1925. Hiram Wesley Evans, Imperial Wizard, resplendent in purple and gold, smiled and bowed hat in hand as he proudly led some 30,000 to 50,000 Klansmen and Klanswomen down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the Treasury.
  23. ^ According to the 1920 census, the population of white males 18 years and older was about 31 million, but many of these men would have been ineligible for membership because they were immigrants, Jews, or Roman Catholics.
  24. ^ a b "The Ku Klux Klan, a brief biography". The African American Registry. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Newton 2010, p. 96.
  26. ^ Newton 2010, p. 100.
  27. ^ "Mistrial Is Declared In Evans Conspiracy Case". Christian Science Monitor. June 13, 1942. Retrieved 2009-02-11. A mistrial was declared yesterday in the case of Hiram Wesley Evans, former national chief of the Ku Klux Klan, who was charged with conspiracy to defraud the State of Georgia. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ Moore 1997, p. 21.
  29. ^ Moore 1997, p. 20.
  30. ^ a b Newton 2010, p. 80.
  31. ^ Moore 1997, p. 20–21.
  32. ^ Moore 1997, p. 36.
  33. ^ Moore 1997, p. 37.
  34. ^ Jenkins 1990, p. vii.

Bibliography

Preceded by Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan
1922-1939 		Succeeded by
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Cover of Time Magazine
23 June 1924 		Succeeded by

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