William P. Evans Oral History
OH
2 May 1969
1 transcript, 1 tape
Manuscript Section, Indiana Division
Indiana State Library
Processed by: Christina Baich, May 2006
Biographical Note:
William Pascoe Evans was born on November 9, 1886, in Rosedale, Indiana. His parents were Thomas E. and Mary W. (Pascoe) Evans. He graduated from DePauw University (1907) and Harvard Law School (1911). He then entered practice as the partner of J. Frank Hanly, former Governor of Indiana. He also worked in the firm of (John Walborn) Holtzman & (Lewis Austin) Coleman. In May 1917, Evans entered the Army’s First Officers’ Training Camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indianapolis). After the war, he resumed practicing law in Indianapolis. In 1920, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Marion County. On January 24, 1923, Evans married Lucile Ade McCray. They had two children, William M. and Barbara J.
Evans was reelected as Prosecuting Attorney in 1922, but resigned in 1923 to avoid prosecuting his father-in-law, Governor Warren T. McCray. Evans was very involved in the trial of Governor Ed Jackson when he was charged with bribing Governor McCray, who held office immediately prior to Jackson. He also served as joint State Senator for Marion and Johnson counties and was chief counsel for Public Service Company of Indiana (1925-1951). Evans then joined the firm of Hays and Hays where he practiced until his retirement in 1955. He died on February 9, 1971.
Sources:
Brown, Paul Donald, ed. Indianapolis Men of Affairs, 1923. Indianapolis: The American Biographical Society, 1923.
“Obituaries.” Res Gestae 15 (April 1971): 28.
Scope and Content Note:
The collection contains a transcript and tape of an interview with William P. Evans conducted by Thomas Krasean. Evans discusses his family and schooling; Governor Hanly and his interests in prohibition; his military service; his wife; the Ku Klux Klan; some of his more prominent cases; and his work for the Public Service Company of Indiana. He also talks about Governors Warren T. McCray and Ed Jackson and more briefly about Senators Albert Beveridge and James E. Watson.
Item Listing:
1969 May 2 Reel-to reel tape
1969 May 2 Transcript
Collection Information:
Size of Collection:
1 typed transcript, 1 reel-to-reel tape
Collection Dates:
2 May 1969
Provenance:
Indiana State Library Oral History project
Access: This collection is open for research.
Restrictions:
Photocopying of the transcript is prohibited.
Reproduction Rights:
Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library. Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats:
None
Related Holdings:
Notes:
Search the Indiana State Library's Online Catalog.