Dan Evans, the popular three-term Republican governor of Washington state and later U.S. senator who resigned from his seat in what he found too hostile and boring a Senate, has died. He was 98 years old.
Evans, who served as a trustee of the University of Washington and whose Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance is named after him, died Friday, the university said.
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“Dan Evans was an honorable, independent-minded public servant who put Washington state first and dedicated his life to protecting and investing in the places and people of our state,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement Saturday. “We were fortunate to have had him, and I have no doubt that his legacy will live on for generations to come.”
Evans has been an influential figure in Washington politics for decades and, until current Gov. Jay Inslee, was the only person to be elected governor three times. In a statement posted to social platform X, the Democrat said it was hard to think of another resident who had such a positive impact on so many aspects of the state.
Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons (from left: Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr.) after winning election to the U.S. Senate for Washington state on Nov. 8, 1983, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Barry Sweet)
“All of us, regardless of party, can count ourselves fortunate to have seen the progress he's made over his three terms as governor,” Inslee said.
Born in Seattle in 1925, Mr. Evans was a civil engineer before entering politics. He was elected to the state Assembly in 1956 and became governor in 1964, defeating incumbent Democrat Albert D. Rosellini. He won in a bad year for the Republican Party, when President Lyndon Johnson defeated Republican Barry Goldwater in a landslide victory.
A moderate to liberal Republican, this avid outdoorsman helped add new recreation and park areas to the state and supported clean air and water legislation. He created the nation's first state environmental department, which President Richard Nixon modeled on for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Evans also unsuccessfully pushed for a state income tax and chose not to run for a fourth term.
“His work to unite people across party lines for a cause has been and will continue to inspire public servants and the Evans School community,” Jody Sandfort, dean of the school, said in a statement.
Sandfort recalled Evans saying, “It takes a bipartisan effort to get good things done, because often what we're trying to accomplish is not partisan.”
After leaving the Governor's Mansion in 1977, Evans remained in Olympia and served as president of The Evergreen State College. Evans helped establish a state university when he signed legislation authorizing a liberal arts college, and as governor he also supported the creation of a state community college system.
He gained national recognition during his time leading the state, delivering the keynote address at the 1968 Republican National Convention, and was mentioned as a possible running mate for President Gerald Ford in 1976. Evans, who was no fan of Ronald Reagan, supported Ford in 1976 and initially supported George H. W. Bush in 1980.
A Republican in a predominantly Democratic state, Mr. Evans was seen as a sure bet to run for the Senate, but he frequently rejected such offers, saying in 1972, “I don't like Washington, D.C., much, and I couldn't stand being a senator.”
But in 1983, Democratic Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson died in office, and Evans accepted the appointment to serve out his term. Evans did not run for re-election in 1988, saying he was “too lazy to make a decision.” At the time, he said he was looking forward to returning home and enjoying the outdoors.
In later life, Evans served as a trustee of the University of Washington, his alma mater, and on the boards of directors of numerous nonprofit and corporate organizations.
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“My father lived an extraordinarily fulfilling life,” his sons, Dan Jr., Mark and Bruce Evans, said in a statement quoted by The Seattle Times. “Whether it was serving in public office, working to improve higher education or mentoring others aspiring to serve in public service, he continued to do it all to the end. He touched the lives of so many people, and he did it without sacrificing his family.”
Evans' wife, Nancy Bell Evans, died in January at the age of 90.
