Remembering Governor Dan Evans, ’48, ’49 and his lifetime of service and impact

Today, we join our state and the world in mourning the passing of former Governor Daniel J. Evans, ’48, ’49, a former regent, renowned statesman and tireless champion of higher education, human rights and the environment.

Dan’s service to and impact on our state is virtually without equal: he served three terms as governor, five years in the U.S. Senate, eight years in the State House of Representatives, six years as the president of Evergreen State College and twelve years on the UW Board of Regents, among many other volunteer roles within the University. In every role and in all that he did, he was unshakably committed to his values and integrity, which always served as his north star. He believed deeply in civility, mutual respect and bipartisanship, and throughout his long career in public service, he refused to sacrifice his principles for the sake of expediency or personal advancement.

The example he set for future leaders is at the heart of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, whose mission and work are driven by the public service philosophy that Dan lived by. His incredible energy and stamina were often on display at the Evans School. He continued to be active and engaged there throughout his later years, speaking at seminars and meeting individually with students and fellows. His life and legacy will remain a permanent beacon for what our students can aspire to through a career in public service.

Dan’s indefatigable nature was evident in every aspect of his life, and he never tired of the beauty and majesty of the state he was devoted to. His love of unspoiled wild lands and his visionary public policy instincts were instrumental in preserving more than a million acres of forest through the Washington State Wilderness Act. He especially loved to hike the Rattlesnake Ledge trail and always relished the chance to bring others with him to enjoy its phenomenal beauty. 

As governor, he led with skill and compassion, including his bold and principled commitment to welcoming immigrants to Washington. Almost 50 years ago, he declared, “You are welcome in Washington” to thousands of Vietnamese refugees seeking safe harbor. Dan’s humanity stood in contrast to the anti-immigrant stance of many other officials and set the moral standard for addressing such a humanitarian crisis.

Speaking to the 1968 Republican National Convention, Dan said, “There is no place in [the American] dream for a closed society, for a system which denies opportunity because of race, or the accident of birth, or geography or the misfortune of a family.” He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on in our unceasing efforts to build on his work and realize his vision of an equitable American Dream. We offer our deepest condolences to the Evans family and all who loved and honored Dan’s extraordinary life of service and principled leadership.

The family has asks that gifts made in honor of Dan Evan and his legacy, be made to the Daniel J. Evans Endowment for Excellence in Public Service.