(Sept. 1, 1929-Oct. 2, 2004). Born in Indianapolis to working-class parents, Evans attended the and graduated from in 1947. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies and physical education from and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Illinois in 1951. From 1952 to 1954, he served in the U.S. Army as a journalist. Evans married his college sweetheart, the former Veronica (Vera) Pacala, at the end of his military service in 1954. They had three sons and six grandchildren.
Evans earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from Indiana University in 1966 and served as the superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of in the 1970s. He was an executive with when Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr appointed him to serve as state superintendent of public instruction in 1985. He was elected in his own right in 1988. During Evans’ tenure, the state adopted the A+ Initiative, which included the adoption of the Indiana Statewide Testing of Educational Progress (ISTEP) program.
In 1992, Evans was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, losing a three-way primary. He was a two-time recipient of the state’s Sagamore of the Wabash award and is the namesake of the Washington Township Community and Education Center.
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