Daniel J. Evans

Daniel J. Evans

Daniel Jackson Evans (born October 16, 1925 in Seattle , Washington ) is a former American politician . He was the 16th Governor of Washington from 1965 to 1977 and also represented this state in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

Daniel Evans came from a family that had lived in what is now Washington State since 1859. He first attended Roosevelt High School and studied at the University of Washington until 1949 . However, his studies were interrupted by the Second World War, in which he participated as a naval officer in the Pacific region. During the Korean War he was a staff officer in the Panmunjom armistice negotiations. In 1953 Evans left the military to work as an architect.

Between 1956 and 1964 Evans was a Republican MP in the Washington House of Representatives . There he acted from 1960 to 1964 as an opposition leader ( minority leader ). In 1964 he was elected as the candidate of his party for governor of Washington, where he prevailed with 56:44 percent of the vote against incumbent Albert Rosellini .

Washington governor

Evans took up his new office on January 11, 1965. After he was confirmed in office by the electorate in 1968 and 1972, he was able to rule as governor for a total of 12 years until January 12, 1977. This makes him the only Washington governor to date to have served three consecutive terms.

As governor, he reformed the school system. He earned his greatest merit in the field of environmental protection. He stood up against the pollution of air and water and tried to recultivate landscapes that had been decayed by earlier mining. At that time, some new nature and recreation parks were also created. Significantly, the first nationwide Department of Ecology was established under Governor Evans . Daniel Evans has served on several governors' associations. He soon became so well known that he was on several occasions for the Republican Party as a vice-presidential candidate.

US Senator

Even after the end of his governorship, Evans remained politically active. Between 1977 and 1983 he was President of Evergreen State College at Olympia . Between 1983 and 1989 he represented his state in the US Senate in Washington DC ; he succeeded the late "Scoop" Jackson , whose term of office he ended. He did not run for re-election in 1988. After serving in the US Congress, Evans started a consulting firm. Between 1993 and 1997 he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Washington. In 1999 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . Daniel Evans is married to Nacy Ann Belkl, with whom he has three children.

Web links

• Daniel J. Evans in the database of the National Governors Association (English)
• Daniel J. Evans in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)