Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

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was very interesting. And he always has liked that interaction. I thought he was always good at it, too. When we traveled to foreign countries when he was governor, it was always very easy for him to talk to the chief of state, the ambassador, whomever, because he liked that sort of interaction and he was knowledgeable about that country’s issues. He always had knowledge of their history and of the country itself, and respect for the leadership. That sort of thing was very interesting to him, and very easy. And so he really liked that. And he also had the opportunity to go on a number of wonderful trips. Hughes: Did you get to go, too? Evans: I did many times. So that was interesting, and he really enjoyed that aspect. And he enjoyed some of the other committees that he was on that he was particularly interested in – Energy & Natural Resources, Indian Affairs. But the legislative process is so slow and so frustrating some times. And of course now it’s even worse than it was then. But besides the frustration, he also he looked at his life and his age, and he said, “If I don’t leave now, I won’t be able to seek other opportunities. And that was part of his thinking at that time. So that’s an important part of why he didn’t go for a second term. Hughes: Did you make some really good friends among other senators and their spouses? Evans: Yes, we did. Hughes: Did you see a lot of Sally and Slade Gorton? Evans: Well, we did and then he was defeated and they left. Editor’s Note: Elected to the Senate in 1980, Gorton was defeated by Democrat Brock Adams in 1986, but ran again in 1988 and won back a seat in the Senate – the seat Dan Evans vacated. Adams did not seek re-election in 1992 in the wake of allegations of sexual improprieties with young women. Adams flatly denied the charges, which were published by The Seattle Times. Hughes: Were you really stunned by those revelations about Brock? Evans: Well, it was certainly surprising. Brock was a very hands-on person. He was very nice. And Betty, his wife, is a lovely, lovely lady. And it was hard on her. I felt so sorry for her. That was very tough. And she handled it beautifully, I must say. Hughes: It’s really sad in politics when you see a Pat Nixon, or Betty Adams going through a 170
scandal. Evans: And always having to have a stiff upper lip – having to put that curtain up in front of them, to look happy and be glad to greet people. It is very hard. Hughes: That’s another area where Nancy Evans has been fortunate, haven’t you – to be married to a guy with the character of Dan Evans? It has been a really good 50 years of marriage, hasn’t it? Evans: Oh absolutely. Hughes: Tell us about the most wonderful trip you got to take during those six years in the U.S. Senate? Evans: We had more than just one. We really had some great trips. One of the most interesting trips we took was just Dan and I and his assistant for the Foreign Relations Committee. It was a young woman, Chris Dawson. We went to the Middle East, including Jordan. The foreign minister there had a lunch at his home for Dan. A very small gathering. We came in and we were greeted by everybody. The women were all gorgeous. They had diamonds. Lots of jewelry. Chanel. Everything. Then the foreign minister said to Dan, “Well, Senator, we’ll go off into this room. We want to talk with you about the issues. And Mrs. Evans and your assistant will go off with the women.” Well, Chris, who was a bright, independent, single lady at that time, was furious. She almost turned red right there. I could see that Chris was about ready to say something. So I went over, and I think I whispered, “Just come quietly with me.” So she did. We went to this tiny room off the entry and sat there with these Jordanian ladies. They were very nice, but we had nothing in common because all they wanted to talk about was their trips to London and Paris, and shopping. Chris was sitting there seething. And I was sitting there trying to look interested. But Chris was just livid. And rightly so, she was the Senator’s foreign affairs assistant and should have been included in the discussion, but was not included simply because she was a woman. I understood how she felt, it was very insulting to her training and professionalism, but I just knew that there was no sense in making a fuss about it at that time. It was going to happen as they wanted it to. Hughes: Did you also go to Israel or Palestine? 171
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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.
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we’re sitting in the drawing room
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cabinet wives - the wives of the ca
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Evans: Well, Elsie was one. She was
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Evans: Yes. And in fact I remember
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governor was supposed to arrive at
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pointed two pillows for us that are
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dog, “Peggy! Peggy! Come here, Pe
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een assassinated. So there was a ne
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Hughes: I’m told that the chief h
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Hughes: Was Neil McReynolds the gov
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carpet layer. I was standing there,
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just all the time because we were l
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Nelsen was his name. We hired him a
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Hughes: Nancy didn’t go along? Ev
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The Governor’s Foundation wanted
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ecome “senior” now to separate
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a trundle underneath, so three bunk
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sort of stabbed at it and tried to
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whole thing. I remember I was very
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Hughes: I bet that made a big hit.
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They had been put to bed but they w
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Hughes: I read that you, and I thin
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adjourn. I was young and had never
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at the hotel and said, “Do you ha
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chickens. We don’t like whole chi
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good causes. I couldn’t believe t
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never left your eyes. Paul Newman w
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go back to Dan for a few seconds, b
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Evans: And we don’t carry that ma
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told me that on the first trip he e
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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
Page 158 and 159: Evans: Yes. I know he likes and res
Page 160 and 161: Heffernan: The other question I hav
Page 162 and 163: He hooked up with a lot of Australi
Page 164 and 165: think very well. So it was a huge l
Page 166 and 167: first of January. Then after some l
Page 168 and 169: But I got the rental furniture deli
Page 172 and 173: Evans: Yes, we did. Hughes: Did you
Page 174 and 175: So we enjoyed all of that. But when
Page 176 and 177: was all decorated with very, very c
Page 178 and 179: me again. But that was my daily wal
Page 180 and 181: Hughes: You bought a house, tore it
Page 182 and 183: away after building your first-ever
Page 184 and 185: had good friends, Sherman and Nouch
Page 186 and 187: Evans: Yes. And “What about my ch
Page 188 and 189: learned he was coming to Seattle to
Page 190 and 191: the fire is lit, the cookies and mi
Page 192 and 193: very successful and it’s a separa
Page 194 and 195: Sheppard and she attended the UW. I
Page 196 and 197: over here. Celia, being a mother, w
Page 198 and 199: Evans: So they didn’t have to wor
Page 200 and 201: Hughes: You have always been pretty
Page 202 and 203: that he’s always easy, but he is
Page 204 and 205: “Crosscut” 100 Crystal Mountain
Page 206 and 207: Minnesota 12 Minow, Newt 187 Minto,
Page 208: Wallgren, Monrad 2 Washington, D.C.
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Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

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