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Written by Neil McReynolds
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Page 4 of 4
Are athletics under control today?
I leave the Board of Regents with the feeling—and the expectation—that we’ve got extraordinary leadership in the President of the University. We’ve got extraordinary leadership in Todd Turner, the new director of athletics. We’ve got some extraordinary coaches. We’re really on our way to a university that recognizes the proper role of athletics—which can be a positive and a good one—as best expressed very recently in the national championship of the women’s volleyball team.
You think there is a proper balance between athletics and academics?
Mark Emmert happens to be a very, very strong president. He also understands and is deeply involved with athletics and isn’t likely to let that get out of hand. But he will also be a real supporter of athletics as the needs require. He says it very well. He says that for many, many people, athletics is the front porch of the University. You will see a whole lot more ink spilled and a whole lot more time spent by the electronic media on athletics than you ever will on all of the academic activities of the University.
There has been a steady decline in state support for higher education over the past 20 years or so. What has this meant for the University?
Nobody in the Legislature today is willing to make another investment that will require them to raise taxes. The real question currently is whether the recovery in the economy, which is providing some extra money, will allow the Legislature to make the investment that’s required in higher education. If they don’t, we will fall behind as a state, economically, in the great competition we have not only with other states in the nation, but with other countries.
The University will continue to say, “OK, help us. But if you can’t help us, or won’t help us, then we’ll have to do two things.” We’ll have to continue to raise money on the outside. We’re in the final stages of a $2 billion campaign, which is going to be successful. But that isn’t enough.
 Evans suits up in a Husky football uniform as part of his 80th birthday celebration. Photo by Mary Levin.
I think the University ought to have total responsibility for the tuition that is charged; we ought to have more independent responsibility for handling contracts for buildings, for doing purchasing, for doing a lot of things where the state likes to retain a degree of control. The state likes to maintain control, but they don’t want to put any money in the pot. It’s like a poker game: You don’t put any money in the pot, you can’t play. And it’s about time for the Legislature to recognize that.
You have the distinction of few people at the University, having a school named after you—the Evans Graduate School of Public Affairs. What is the Evans School trying to accomplish?
I asked Marc Lindenberg, who was then dean, when he first called me, “Gee, why didn’t you have the good grace to wait until I was dead?” And he said, “No, we don’t want just the name, we want you.” It’s been a great joy for me to be involved with and be part of the school, and to meet some of the students. … I want to turn out students who have great pride in public administration, and the feeling that public administration is a first-rate calling, because I believe it is. Our country was started with people who had great wealth, great success, and were willing to put all of that on the line to take part in public activities and public administration and public enterprise, because they thought it was the most important thing they could do.
What’s next for Dan Evans?
The pressure is on for me to finish an autobiography. Whether it will be publishable I’m not sure, but it will be something, that at the very least, I’ll be able to give to my nine grandchildren.
Web Special: Full text of interview between Gov. Dan Evans and Neil McReynolds
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