John Marshall Evans

Born in Newport News, Virginia in 1950,[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/evans-john-marshall John Marshall Evans (1950–)] Evans attended the Williamsburg-James City County public schools and later St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, where he won the Latin Prize and the St. Andrew's Cross and served as Senior Prefect. He studied Russian history at Yale University, earning an undergraduate degree with honors in Russian Studies. He pursued doctoral studies in history at Columbia University but left after one semester to join the U.S. Foreign Service in 1971. Evans served in the US foreign service in various capacities in Iran, Czechoslovakia, the former Soviet Union, and with the OSCE and NATO, as well as in the Office of Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and on the USSR desk.{{Cite web |date=19 October 2009 |title=The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JOHN M. EVANS |url=https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Evans,%20John%20M.toc.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717153232/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Evans,%20John%20M.toc.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2024 |access-date=17 July 2024 |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training}} He studied languages and became fluent in Persian, Russian and Czech, as well as French. He does not speak Armenian beyond a smattering of phrases.

Armenian sources have suggested that the sudden dismissal of Evans was caused by his outspoken support for the recognition of the Armenian genocide. Evans said as much in an oral history interview in which he recalled that State Department Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried had accused him of "jamming the President" on the Armenian Genocide issue and that Fried then said, "You're going to have to leave."{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=John|title=Rebel With a Cause — Struggling with the Armenian Genocide|url=http://adst.org/2015/04/rebel-with-a-cause-struggling-with-the-armenian-genocide/|website=ADST.org|accessdate=May 12, 2015}} It has been suggested that Turkey, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, pressured the Department of State to remove Evans for his personal beliefs and statements.[http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf/2006/07-14-06__2006-066_State_Department_Responds_to_Inquiries_from_Congress_Regarding_Ambassador_Evans__Premature_Departure.pdf Armenian Assembly of America – Press Release July 14, 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209045802/http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/pdf/2006/07-14-06__2006-066_State_Department_Responds_to_Inquiries_from_Congress_Regarding_Ambassador_Evans__Premature_Departure.pdf |date=December 9, 2012 }}: "State Department Responds to Inquiries From Congress Regarding Ambassador Evans' Premature Departure"[http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=965 Armenian National Committee of America – Press Release June 20, 2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014171619/http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=965 |date=October 14, 2006}}: "Armenian American Community Looks to Senate Confirmation Hearing for Answers to Amb. Evans Firing"[http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=716 Armenian National Committee of America – Press Release March 1, 2005] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014173440/http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=716 |date=October 14, 2006 }}: "Rep. Pallone Welcomes Amb. Evans' Remarks Recognizing the Armenian Genocide"

After Evans's recall, the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America put pressure on the U.S. Senate to postpone the appointment of Richard E. Hoagland, the new nominee for the ambassadorship to Armenia, until the Bush administration had clarified the reason for Evans's dismissal and on the suspicion that Hoagland did not sympathize with Armenian causes. Hoagland was nominated by President Bush during the 109th Congress, during which his nomination did not come up for a vote. The Bush administration re-nominated Hoagland when the 110th session of the United States Congress convened, but the nomination was ultimately not confirmed. A new nominee, Marie L. Yovanovitch, came up for the post in 2008 and served until 2011.[http://www.aaainc.org/index.php?id=935 Armenian Assembly of America – Press Release December 6, 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208155409/http://www.aaainc.org/index.php?id=935 |date=December 8, 2012 }}: "U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern Meets with Armenian Assembly Chairman & Country Director"

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

|last =Evans

|first =John Marshall

|others=Foreword by Dickran Kouymjian

|title =Truth Held Hostage: America and the Armenian Genocide – What Then? What Now?

|publisher=Gomidas Institute

|place=London

|date=2016

|isbn=978-1909382268}}

• {{cite book

|last =Evans

|first =John Marshall

|title =Therefore, God Must be Armenian!: Sixteen Talks on Armenian Issues, (2007-2012)

|publisher=Gomidas Institute

|place=London

|date=2016

|isbn=978-1909382251}}

• [http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=John_Evans Armeniapedia.org article]
• {{C-SPAN|74945}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-dip}}

{{s-bef|before=John Malcolm Ordway}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to Armenia|years=2004–2006}}

{{s-aft|after=Marie L. Yovanovitch}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, John Marshall}}

Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:Yale College alumni

Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Armenia

Category:United States Foreign Service personnel

Category:People from Newport News, Virginia

Category:Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni