Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

Evans: No. I can’t. I think he would agree that often we disagreed on things. But I’ve
always respected his stand on an issue because his was well-thought. Mine was not always
well- thought-out. He would always have thought about it – the pros and the cons. That’s
our thing when we talk about issues. So I always respected his views because he has an
engineer’s way of looking at things carefully. And oftentimes he’s changed my view, but
sometimes I think I’ve softened or brought him a little bit more my direction. Maybe not
changed him but had some influence.
Hughes: Can you think of one issue?
Evans: I can’t be specific. It’s hard. Fifty years is a long time.
Hughes: Four years after getting married you’ve got two sons and Dan’s star is rising. It
must have seemed like your life was on a jet plane, didn’t it?
Evans: Well, in thinking back on it I don’t know how I did it. But, you know, at the time you
just do it. And I think back to my mother’s advice. She always said, “You can do whatever
you really want to do if you work hard.” The other important thing is that when something
comes along you’re ready for it. In other words, that you’ve done whatever you needed
to do to get to the point where you’re ready if there’s an opportunity – if somebody
says, “Will you do this?” Or, “Can you do this?” So I guess in all my growing up, the Bell
household somehow prepared me to do what I did, for better or for worse.
Hughes: Do you remember when Dan came home from
the first time and said, “The fellows are all talking: They
think I ought to run for governor.”
Evans: I don’t remember that specific moment. It was
in 1963. But I do remember the discussions that were
taking place, and some meetings that he was going to.
He’d come home saying, “Well, they’re talking about
this.” And I’d say, “Oh God!” Initially I was very skeptical
of the whole prospect. I just didn’t think he had a
chance.
Hughes: A lot of people felt that way. He was a dark Rep. Dan Evans, R-King County, 1961.
Washington State House of Representatives
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