Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

and then I came. When I competed for and got the scholarship, Ken Schilling sent Bill
a telegram, which they did in those days, saying, “Your sister was great” or something
like that, which I thought was very nice. I played the piano for the choir and for various
singing groups, so I knew Ken very well. I had several piano teachers who were also quite
wonderful, but Ken was head of the Music Department and very supportive of me. I
loved college! I had a wonderful time there. Well, maybe I had some boyfriend problems
along the way, but it was great. I was president of my sorority senior year. Delta Gamma.
I must tell you that having been a trustee and having the opportunity to hear so many
students talk about what they’re doing or what they would like to do, I’m so impressed
with the poise of young women and men today. I think back on what I was like and it’s
embarrassing. I remember that the only thing that I publicly had to do as president of
my sorority was in the spring when they would have a banquet that the alums put on at
the Marcus Whitman Hotel. When I was president of my sorority all I had to do was to
report on our successes throughout the year. Just a little talk. And I didn’t think I would get
through it. I remember just gulping – ah, it was dreadful – and swallowing and not being
able to go on with the words. But I finally got through it. I remember somebody afterwards
leaning over and saying, “Gosh that was tough, wasn’t it?” And I said, “Yes, that was very
tough!” It was very memorable to me because I was so bad. I could get up and play the
piano. That’s another thing, but to speak was a real challenge. I can remember taking a
speech class because there was a requirement to take a class in another area, and none of
them appealed to me except Speech. I stood up for the first time to give a little 30-second
whatever it was, and giggled my way through it because the boyfriend at the time was in
the class, too. So I was not and never have been a very good public speaker. But I’m better
at it now than I was.
Hughes: So you graduate in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in music?
Evans: Yes.
Hughes: And a minor in education, or was it a dual track?
Evans: It was a dual.
Hughes: You get a teaching certificate.
22