John Evans (Idaho politician)

Born in Malad, Idaho,[http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=74b7ae3effb81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD National Governors Association-John V. Evans] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629134125/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=74b7ae3effb81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD |date=2011-06-29 }} Evans was an infantryman in the U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war, he attended Stanford University and graduated in 1951.{{cite web|url= http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_idaho/col2-content/main-content-list/title_evans_john.html|title= Idaho Governor John Victor Evans|publisher= National Governors Association |access-date= September 25, 2012}} He and his wife, Lola Daniels Evans (1927–2015), were married for over 69 years and had five children: three sons and two daughters.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_3VfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=di8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4652%2C6370757 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|last=Hall|first=Bill|title=John Evans: Hints of things to come|date=January 26, 1977 |page=1}}

Evans returned to Malad after college to help run the family wheat and cattle ranch. He was elected to the state senate at age 27 in 1952 and re-elected in 1954 and 1956, serving as majority leader in his final term. In 1960, Evans became mayor of Malad City and served in that capacity until 1966. He returned to the state senate in 1969 and served as minority leader from 1969 to 1975.

Evans was elected lieutenant governor in 1974, and became governor in January 1977 when Cecil Andrus accepted an appointment to become the Secretary of the Interior in the new Carter administration.

Evans finished Andrus' term and was elected governor in his own right in 1978, defeating Republican house speaker Allan Larsen of Blackfoot. {{as of|2023}}, Evans remains the only Mormon to have won election as governor in Idaho. Arnold Williams was the Mormon first to serve as governor (succeeding to the office following the resignation of Charles Gossett), holding office for slightly over a year starting in late 1945,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U_tXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wPYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1145,4464623|newspaper=Bend Bulletin|title=Mormons win Idaho governor primary|agency=Associated Press|date=August 9, 1978|page=20}} but lost the 1946 election.

Evans was re-elected in 1982, narrowly defeating Republican lieutenant governor Phil Batt of Wilder in a contest so close on election night that at least one Idaho television network incorrectly declared Batt the winner.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zapfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5611%2C1135961 |agency=Associated Press|last=Kennedy|first=John|title=Gov. Evans rejoices, Batt talks about quitting politics|date=November 4, 1982|page=1C}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AqxeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uS4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4911,739895 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|agency=Associated Press|title=Phil Batt has seen close races before|date=December 18, 2000 |page=7A}}

After nearly a decade as a governor, Evans unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1986,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gDFkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6978,2681874|newspaper=Spokane Chronicle|last=Kenyon|first=Quane|agency=Associated Press|title=No political truce in Idaho|date=October 28, 1986|page=A4}} but was defeated by Republican incumbent Steve Symms of Caldwell. He was succeeded as governor by Andrus, who served two more terms, giving the Democrats six consecutive elections for governor in the state, holding the office from 1971 to 1995.

While he was in office as governor in 1981, Evans's 29-year-old son John was the target of a foiled kidnapping attempt in Burley.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EPlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6806%2C4449103 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=3 try to kidnap Idaho governor's son |date=May 16, 1981 |page=9C}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=43dfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ny8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5898%2C83847 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Karen Evans is a heroine to Idaho governor's family |date=May 16, 1981 |page=5B}}

:{{small|Source:}}{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/|publisher=U.S. House of Representatives|title=Office of the Clerk: Election statistics|access-date=March 12, 2013}}

Evans became president of the family-owned D. L. Evans Bank in Burley in January 1987,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h5UrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B9EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2877%2C117199 |newspaper=(Moscow) Idahonian |agency=Associated Press |title=Evans to take over family bank branch |date=December 2, 1986 |page=1}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dlevans.com/about-us/our-history.html|title=Our History|publisher=DL Evans Bank|access-date=September 25, 2012|archive-date=July 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710231436/http://www.dlevans.com/about-us/our-history.html|url-status=dead}} which was founded in 1904 in Albion by his grandfather, David Lloyd Evans Sr. (1854–1929).{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZlpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h-8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5507,6208024 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |title=John Evans settling in as banker |agency=Associated Press |last=Kenyon |first=Quane |date=October 11, 1987|page=B1}} Evans died at age 89 in 2014 at his Boise home on July 8.{{cite news |title=Former Idaho Gov. John V. Evans has died at 89 |newspaper=Idaho State Journal |location=Pocatello |date=July 8, 2014}} Less than a year later, Evans' widow, Lola, died at her Boise home on May 19, 2015, at the age of 88.{{cite news|title=Wife of late Gov. Evans passes away in Boise |url=http://www.idahostatejournal.com/members/wife-of-late-gov-evans-passes-away-in-boise/article_abd35a24-fecc-11e4-a8cf-835bef4eba47.html |work=Idaho State Journal |date=2015-05-20 |access-date=2015-05-23}} They are interred at the Malad City Cemetery in Malad City.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_idaho/col2-content/main-content-list/title_evans_john.html National Governors Association]
• [http://www.dlevans.com/about-us/our-history.html D.L. Evans Bank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710231436/http://www.dlevans.com/about-us/our-history.html |date=2014-07-10 }}
• {{Find a Grave|132497026}}

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Category:1925 births

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Category:American bank presidents

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Category:Lieutenant governors of Idaho

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