Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

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Nancy Evans Research by John C. Hughes, Lori Larson, Dick Allen, Bob Johnson, Miriam Bausch and Gerry Alexander Interviews by John C. Hughes Transcription by Lori Larson and John C. Hughes John C. Hughes: The Legacy Project is with Nancy Evans, who was Washington’s first lady from 1965-1977. Twelve years. Longer than any other first lady. Nancy Evans: Well, Evelyn Langlie was also first lady for 12 years, but her husband’s terms were non-consecutive. (1941-1945; 1949-1957) Hughes: So you’re tied for first lady tenure. I’d forgotten that Arthur Langlie served three terms. He was defeated for re-election by U.S. Senator Mon Wallgren, but made a comeback to beat Wallgren in 1948. Then he beat Congressman Hugh Mitchell in 1952. Langlie Evans family collection was 40 when he was first elected – the youngest governor in state history until a guy named Dan Evans came along in 1964. Evans: That’s right. Hughes: Let’s see if I can pass the Math WASL here: You were 31 years and 10 months old when Dan took office? Evans: We went (into office) in January of 1965 and my birthday is in March, so, yes, that’s right. Hughes: And Dan was 39. He’s 7 years and 5 months older than you. A lot older. Evans: Yes. (laughs) 2
Hughes: Adele Ferguson, The Bremerton Sun’s legendary capitol correspondent, told me there are three things you should never ask a woman: her weight, her age and her salary. But I’m duty bound to ask you when you were born. Evans: In Spokane on March 21, 1933. It was the first day of spring. And my father came home to make the announcement to my three siblings. They were seven, nine, and 12 years older – Mary, Bill Bell Jr. and Barbara. They were anxiously waiting to know if it was a boy or a girl. He told them that it was a girl, and my brother was very disappointed. Then my father said, “And we’re going to name her Vernal Equinoxia Bell.” And they all said, “Oh, Dad, you Baby Nancy with a teddy bear. Evans family album can’t do that!” Well, of course, he was joking. He had a wonderful sense of humor. “We’re going to call her ‘Vernie’ for short,” he said. Hughes: In the Time magazine article in 1968 when Dan was on the cover as the keynoter at the Republican National Convention, it says that your dad wanted to name you that, but your mom “dissuaded” him. But it was just a joke? Evans: Oh yes, totally. Hughes: You’re Nancy Ann Bell, right? Evans: Ah, yes. When I was born, my mother named me Elizabeth Ann Bell. And the obstetrician, Dr. Mary Rodney, who delivered me, said to Mother and Daddy, “Well, she doesn’t look like an Elizabeth to me. She looks like a Nancy.” And that’s what she wrote on the birth certificate. So my baptism Nancy in her baby buggy in 1933. Evans family album certificate says Elizabeth Ann Bell, and my birth 3
Page 4 and 5: certificate says Nancy Ann Bell, wh
Page 6 and 7: England family. There were a lot of
Page 8 and 9: Evans: Yes. My father’s mother wa
Page 10 and 11: Evans: Well, I was a spoiled brat.
Page 12 and 13: wartime. So that was a severe blow
Page 14 and 15: Madrigal Singers. I played the pian
Page 16 and 17: ecause she could say no. So I think
Page 18 and 19: had two grand pianos as well as the
Page 20 and 21: ecause he wasn’t waiting for me.
Page 22 and 23: and then I came. When I competed fo
Page 24 and 25: out of college, living with all the
Page 26 and 27: Christmas program. That was just a
Page 28 and 29: Hughes: What was your first impress
Page 30 and 31: in Vancouver. They were very Britis
Page 32 and 33: Evans: Dan tells this story wonderf
Page 34 and 35: Hughes: I’ve never met Sally Gort
Page 36 and 37: number of times but it’s still so
Page 38 and 39: SAS nonstop. You could have 40 poun
Page 40 and 41: Evans: No. I can’t. I think he wo
Page 42 and 43: Evans: Uh-huh. Hughes: Is that the
Page 44 and 45: Evans: That’s right. And lost. Bu
Page 46 and 47: Hughes: As things went along, were
Page 48 and 49: Hughes: Barry Goldwater may have be
Page 50 and 51: Hughes: Did you really find that pe
Page 52 and 53:
Hughes: That’s funny. And then th
Page 54 and 55:
Evans: Well, I used to always say t
Page 56 and 57:
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
Page 72 and 73:
een assassinated. So there was a ne
Page 74 and 75:
Hughes: I’m told that the chief h
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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
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whole thing. I remember I was very
Page 96 and 97:
Hughes: I bet that made a big hit.
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They had been put to bed but they w
Page 100 and 101:
Hughes: I read that you, and I thin
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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 108 and 109:
good causes. I couldn’t believe t
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
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told me that on the first trip he e
Page 118 and 119:
people. Never. Dan had worked quite
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Nancy plays the piano for a sing-a-
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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
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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
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aquavit, which was terrible. And th
Page 148 and 149:
I remember I was standing in the fr
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early. Well, when Dan was a freshma
Page 152 and 153:
time.” Finally he decided to do i
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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
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was very interesting. And he always
Page 172 and 173:
Evans: Yes, we did. Hughes: Did you
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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
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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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