By Senators Parlette, Fraser, Bailey, Warnick, Honeyford, Hargrove, Angel, Braun, Litzow, Rivers, King, Cleveland, Darneille, Conway, Habib, Sheldon, Hill, Brown, Becker, O'Ban, McAuliffe, Chase, Hatfield, McCoy, Rolfes, Nelson, Mullet, Frockt, Jayapal, Keiser, Liias, Pedersen, Billig, Hobbs, Schoesler, Hasegawa, Pearson, Dammeier, Fain, Ranker, Hewitt, Kohl-Welles, Roach, and Miloscia

WHEREAS, Daniel J. Evans, whose great-grandfather settled in Port Gamble, Kitsap County, in 1859, summited his first peak at the age of 12, and that climb of Silver Peak near Snoqualmie Pass made an indelible impression on the young Boy Scout from Seattle; and

WHEREAS, Dan Evans earned the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1943 before serving in the United States Navy from that year to 1946, achieving the rank of ensign, then earned bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from the University of Washington; and

WHEREAS, Dan Evans returned to the Navy as a lieutenant when the Korean War began in 1951, eventually serving as an admiral's aide at the peace negotiations at Panmunjom, where the cease-fire between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea was signed in 1953; and

WHEREAS, On November 6, 1956, voters in the 43rd Legislative District elected the then 31 year old Dan Evans to represent them in the Washington State House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Representative Evans, whose maternal grandfather represented Spokane in the Washington State Senate in 1893, was named the outstanding freshman legislator of 1957, and went on to be reelected three more times to the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Representative Evans became House Minority Leader after four years as a legislator, and participated in the creation of a coalition of members of both parties that installed new leadership in the House of Representatives during the 1963 legislative session; and

WHEREAS, On November 3, 1964, the people of Washington elected Representative Evans to be the 16th governor of Washington; making him the youngest governor in state history, at age 39, and making his wife, Nancy Bell Evans, a native of Spokane, the youngest first lady at age 31; and

WHEREAS, During his unprecedented three consecutive terms as the state's chief executive, Governor Dan Evans founded the first state-level ecology department in the United States, providing a blueprint for President Nixon's Environmental Protection Agency; and cofounded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition; and

WHEREAS, Governor Evans directed the creation of councils advancing the status of women and addressing issues relating to Native Americans and Asian-Americans, energy policy, thermal power plant siting, mental health services, and the prevention of drug abuse; and

WHEREAS, It was Governor Evans who directed the creation of the office of community development, and the council on higher education, and championed the creation of the state's community college system; and

WHEREAS, Governor Evans signed legislation making special education mandatory in Washington, and promoted the employment of people with disabilities, encouraging the removal of barriers to mobility; and

WHEREAS, Governor Evans became President Evans after his third term as governor, when in 1977 he became president of The Evergreen State College in Olympia; and

WHEREAS, President Evans became United States Senator Evans in 1983 when he was appointed and then elected senator; and

WHEREAS, Senator Evans' accomplishments included the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act, which established 19 new wilderness areas, the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988, which created wilderness areas within Mount Rainier and Olympic and North Cascades National Parks, and extended protection to a favorite alpine lake in the Olympic Mountains called Lake of the Angels; and

WHEREAS, After leaving public office in 1988, he remained active in our state's public and private sectors, including 12 years as a regent for his alma mater, the University of Washington; and

WHEREAS, His contributions to the people of Washington continue to this day, through his service as a long time member of the advisory board for the William D. Ruckelshaus Center; and

WHEREAS, First Lady Nancy Bell Evans also distinguished herself through her major public service contributions, including serving on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater Whitman College, and her leadership in achieving a major restoration of the Governor's Mansion and creation of the Governor's Mansion Foundation, which continues to care for and add to the historical resources of the Mansion; and

WHEREAS, Dan Evans has been recognized by the University of Washington, which named its School of Public Affairs for him, where the governor and Nancy serve on the advisory board; and

WHEREAS, Dan Evans has been recognized by The Evergreen State College, which named its library for him; and

WHEREAS, A man once referred to as "Old Gluefoot" for his ability to avoid mingling in a roomful of people is described today as "a master at uniting the uncommon"; and

WHEREAS, As governor, Dan Evans earned the nickname "Straight Arrow" for his honesty, and was later recognized by the University of Michigan as one of the Ten Outstanding Governors in the 20th Century; and

WHEREAS, Dan Evans, who once said he "would rather cross the aisle than cross the people," is one of the most popular and respected public servants in Washington history;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dan Evans' inaugural installation as Governor, the Washington State Senate congratulate Senator and Governor Dan Evans for his service to the people of Washington and to the United States of America; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Honorable Daniel J. Evans, in recognition and appreciation of his commitment to the people of Washington and the great state in which they live.