Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

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good causes. I couldn’t believe the things that they found and got stores to give. I mean it was amazing. This was at the Botanical Gardens and it had a French outdoor theme. But Nancy and I were old friends Nancy with other Senate wives on Nancy Reagan’s First Lady’s Luncheon committee, 1986. Evans family album because we had known each other as governors’ wives. But I had this Red Cross outfit. You could either buy the dress or you could buy the apron. Well, for $2 I bought the apron. I wasn’t going to wear the cotton Red Cross dress ever. We were supposed to wear whatever Red Cross thing we had, and then of course we would take pictures with the First Lady. I was giggling because I felt so silly in that dumb outfit. Hughes: I don’t think I’m telling any tales out of school when I tell you that Jay Fredericksen (the governor’s press secretary in 1973) told me that one time you told him you thought it was a little bit over the top the way she looked at Ronnie, like he sort of walked on water. I mean they were gaga in love. Evans: Oh absolutely. And you knew that it was very real. But you’re on the stage so much in front of people and you listen to your husband speak so many times. I could give Dan’s speeches – I’d heard them so often. But you have to look somewhat attentive, and she always seemed to overdo it. Hughes: Of those people you met at the governors’ conferences, who were the most enduring of the friendships – people you really felt like you could really let your hair down around? Evans: The governors of Idaho and Utah, who were both Democrats, (Cecil Andrus and Calvin Rampton) were very good friends. And in Wyoming it was a Republican, Stan Hathaway, and in Oregon, Republican Tom McCall, who we enjoyed knowing. Hughes: Speaking of nonpartisan, in the same era in our state, it was the Jacksons and the Magnusons – two Democratic powers in the U.S. Senate. Did you get to know them as well? Evans: Yes, we did. … Helen Jackson and Jermaine Magnuson. I remember one time, it was 108
during one of the governor’s conferences in D.C., and Mrs. Magnuson very kindly invited me ahead of time to have lunch with some friends. I thought that was very nice. I think we had lunch in the Senate dining room. I’m not sure about that. Then we had a private tour of the National Cathedral, which was lovely because some of these women were not only members of that church — that’s where large events happen in D.C., funerals and other events—a few of them had done the needlepoint on the kneeling benches. So we had a really wonderful tour of the building. And then, she had a car and a driver because of Maggie’s role in the Senate. I remember we were driving up on the north side of the White House and Bobby Kennedy was walking on the street. He was going to get a cab and go back up to the Capitol. We stopped and she said, “Bobby, do you want a ride?” And he said, “Sure.” So he got in the back seat with me and we went up to the Capitol. He was very pleasant. Little things like that happen a lot when you’re in D.C. Hughes: Did you kind of just take that in stride or did you ever find yourself star-struck? Evans: Sure, you get star-struck but it doesn’t stay with you for long. King Hussein of Jordan was just one of the most charming men I’ve ever met. I was star struck! Hughes: Speaking flawless English, with a gorgeous wife. Evans: And I had lunch with him when Dan was in the Senate. His wife was in America at the time we were in Jordan. He was just one of the most charming people I’ve ever known. Hughes: I heard his son interviewed on NPR the other day and he sounds like he’s out the same bolt of cloth. Evans: Absolutely. Well, it was interesting because one of his younger sons – Queen Noor’s sons – was with him at this lunch. He was probably five or six years old, and he was just the most delightful little boy. “Giggle, giggle, giggle.” They sat right next to me. It was a very informal lunch. Very nice. He was just the most charming man and so nice to talk to. Here was this father and his son having the best time at this diplomatic lunch. It was in a minister’s home so it wasn’t in a hotel or some official place. They were avid skiers, so we talked about skiing. He would look right into my eyes and say, “Well, ma’am.” Everything preceded by, “Well ma’am.” So that lunch was a highlight in my life because of the king and his presence, but also his wit and his humor and his obvious love for his son. … His eyes 109
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Nancy Evans Research by John C. Hug
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certificate says Nancy Ann Bell, wh
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England family. There were a lot of
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Evans: Yes. My father’s mother wa
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Evans: Well, I was a spoiled brat.
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wartime. So that was a severe blow
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Madrigal Singers. I played the pian
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ecause she could say no. So I think
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had two grand pianos as well as the
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ecause he wasn’t waiting for me.
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and then I came. When I competed fo
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out of college, living with all the
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Christmas program. That was just a
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Hughes: What was your first impress
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in Vancouver. They were very Britis
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Evans: Dan tells this story wonderf
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Hughes: I’ve never met Sally Gort
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number of times but it’s still so
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SAS nonstop. You could have 40 poun
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Evans: No. I can’t. I think he wo
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Evans: Uh-huh. Hughes: Is that the
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Evans: That’s right. And lost. Bu
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Hughes: As things went along, were
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Hughes: Barry Goldwater may have be
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Hughes: Did you really find that pe
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Hughes: That’s funny. And then th
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Evans: Well, I used to always say t
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Evans: Yes, pronounced “Poe-gi.
Page 58 and 59: we’re sitting in the drawing room
Page 60 and 61: cabinet wives - the wives of the ca
Page 62 and 63: Evans: Well, Elsie was one. She was
Page 64 and 65: Evans: Yes. And in fact I remember
Page 66 and 67: governor was supposed to arrive at
Page 68 and 69: pointed two pillows for us that are
Page 70 and 71: dog, “Peggy! Peggy! Come here, Pe
Page 72 and 73: een assassinated. So there was a ne
Page 74 and 75: Hughes: I’m told that the chief h
Page 76 and 77: Hughes: Was Neil McReynolds the gov
Page 78 and 79: carpet layer. I was standing there,
Page 80 and 81: just all the time because we were l
Page 82 and 83: Nelsen was his name. We hired him a
Page 84 and 85: Hughes: Nancy didn’t go along? Ev
Page 86 and 87: The Governor’s Foundation wanted
Page 88 and 89: ecome “senior” now to separate
Page 90 and 91: a trundle underneath, so three bunk
Page 92 and 93: sort of stabbed at it and tried to
Page 94 and 95: whole thing. I remember I was very
Page 96 and 97: Hughes: I bet that made a big hit.
Page 98 and 99: They had been put to bed but they w
Page 100 and 101: Hughes: I read that you, and I thin
Page 102 and 103: adjourn. I was young and had never
Page 104 and 105: at the hotel and said, “Do you ha
Page 106 and 107: chickens. We don’t like whole chi
Page 110 and 111: never left your eyes. Paul Newman w
Page 112 and 113: go back to Dan for a few seconds, b
Page 114 and 115: Evans: And we don’t carry that ma
Page 116 and 117: told me that on the first trip he e
Page 118 and 119: people. Never. Dan had worked quite
Page 120 and 121: Nancy plays the piano for a sing-a-
Page 122 and 123: Evans: No. It was organized (in 196
Page 124 and 125: inauguration of President Obama. Th
Page 126 and 127: this cute little guy. Then we start
Page 128 and 129: Evans: No. But we met her and Princ
Page 130 and 131: the way Pickleball started. The sto
Page 132 and 133: Evans: Pretty much. I would hope th
Page 134 and 135: the library, which used to be a lit
Page 136 and 137: told this story that Jean Gardner c
Page 138 and 139: Evans: A bit out of the norm. So I
Page 140 and 141: then sort of a Van Dyke, and finall
Page 142 and 143: Hughes: Tell me about that. Evans:
Page 144 and 145: Hughes: Tell us about any other tri
Page 146 and 147: aquavit, which was terrible. And th
Page 148 and 149: I remember I was standing in the fr
Page 150 and 151: early. Well, when Dan was a freshma
Page 152 and 153: time.” Finally he decided to do i
Page 154 and 155: and put him on the plane for his ju
Page 156 and 157: president of the college. He just d
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Evans: Yes. I know he likes and res
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Heffernan: The other question I hav
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He hooked up with a lot of Australi
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think very well. So it was a huge l
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first of January. Then after some l
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But I got the rental furniture deli
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was very interesting. And he always
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Evans: Yes, we did. Hughes: Did you
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So we enjoyed all of that. But when
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was all decorated with very, very c
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me again. But that was my daily wal
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Hughes: You bought a house, tore it
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away after building your first-ever
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had good friends, Sherman and Nouch
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Evans: Yes. And “What about my ch
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learned he was coming to Seattle to
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the fire is lit, the cookies and mi
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very successful and it’s a separa
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Sheppard and she attended the UW. I
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over here. Celia, being a mother, w
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Evans: So they didn’t have to wor
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Hughes: You have always been pretty
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that he’s always easy, but he is
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“Crosscut” 100 Crystal Mountain
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Minnesota 12 Minow, Newt 187 Minto,
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Wallgren, Monrad 2 Washington, D.C.
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