Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State
Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State
Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State
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Hughes: What a wonderful adventure.<br />
<strong>Evans</strong>: It was a great trip. And then we came home. That’s when Dan decided he wanted<br />
to form an engineering partnership with Vic Gray. And I came home pregnant with our<br />
son. I can tell you where and when, but I’m not going to. (laughing) Our son, Dan, knows.<br />
It was a wonderful trip, because we were places where now you go and it’s so crowded<br />
with tourists. We stayed in a pension right on the Med in Nice and Cannes. The only place<br />
where I didn’t want to get out <strong>of</strong> bed because I didn’t want to put my foot on the floor was<br />
in Paris. We were in this dirty hotel on the Left Bank.<br />
Hughes: Did you go to Monaco and down the Riviera?<br />
<strong>Evans</strong>: Yes, we did. We just went all over. …<br />
Hughes: Then, back home, your lives grew more frenetic. A new job for Dan, and in<br />
the middle <strong>of</strong> becoming a dad, he became House minority leader at 35 after that 1960<br />
election. All <strong>of</strong> a sudden did it dawn on you that this is heading even higher?<br />
<strong>Evans</strong>: No. That was it. That was as far as he looked – minority leader. Well, he would<br />
have liked it even better if he had been majority leader. And that step up was a big thing<br />
because he was young and he was a newer member. There were others who had been<br />
there longer and deservedly should have been elected. And he respected them. So it was<br />
an interesting thing.<br />
Hughes: Was your table talk or pillow talk <strong>of</strong>ten about politics?<br />
<strong>Evans</strong>: Yes, we talked about political issues.<br />
Hughes: Is there some issue you recall from then that really resonated<br />
with you?<br />
<strong>Evans</strong>: I’m not sure I recall anything particular from 1960. That’s a<br />
long time ago. But over the years I can remember a lot <strong>of</strong> discussions.<br />
You know, the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment). I was for that, and<br />
(legalized) abortion. Things <strong>of</strong> that nature would be <strong>of</strong> special interest,<br />
and other social issues. I’m not going to discuss with him the highway<br />
budget or how to deal with traffic. We didn’t always agree on things.<br />
Hughes: Early on, can you recall something that you really disagree over?<br />
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