Merrill J. Evans was appointed to the board in 1953 by Gov. William B. Umstead (1895–1954), but then two years later resigned, prompting Gov. Luther H. Hodges (1898–1974) to name Luther Hamilton (1894–1976) of Morehead City to fill the vacant term, due to expire on June 30, 1959. During Evans’ two years as a trustee, East Carolina continued to grow at an impressive rate in terms of enrollment, faculty numbers, and campus infrastructure. Yet it also faced a major challenge, that of desegregation, following the 1954 Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision declaring segregation unconstitutional. The ECC board responded at its May 1954 meeting, affirming adherence to its segregationist charter “until instructed by a higher authority to do otherwise.” Evans did not attend that meeting making his thinking on the matter difficult to assess. He resigned the following year.
A native of Grandy in Currituck County, Evans attended public schools before graduating from William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia. After graduating, he moved to Ahoskie, N. C. where he spent most of his professional life managing a life insurance agency, farming interests, fertilizer sales, and a public relations office.
Active in Democratic Party politics, Evans served two terms in the state senate (1941, 1943), and one in the state house of representatives (1945). During the Cherry administration, from 1945 to 1949, he served as highway commissioner for the First District. From 1955 -1961, he was a member of the Hertford County Board of Commissioners.
In 1960, after helping coordinate — in nearly a dozen northeastern counties — Terry Sanford’s (1917–1998) successful gubernatorial campaign, Evans was appointed chairman of the State Highway Commission, the first from the eastern part of the state. Evans guided to completion, during his tenure, construction of a new bridge from Currituck County to the Outer Banks, establishment of the Knots Island Ferry, construction of a bridge over Oregon Inlet, construction of Highway 11 giving access across the Roanoke River to the Greenville area; construction of the bypass west of Ahoskie; a new highway connecting Ahoskie to Murfreesboro, and Route 561 connecting northeastern North Carolina to the Piedmont.
Sources
- Cooper, David. “Tar Heel of the Week: Merrill Evans, Chairman of the State Highway Commission.” News and Observer. February 12, 1961. P. 31.
- “East Carolina College Board of Trustees minutes May 22, 1954.” May 22, 1954. University Archives # UA01.01.01.01.04. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, North Carolina. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/10268
- “ECC Trustees Hold Meeting.” News and Observer. August 23, 1954. P. 5.
- “Evans Named Highway Chief.” Durham Morning Herald. February 4, 1961. P. 1.
- “Ferry Added to N.C. Fleet: Evans Declines Honor of Having New State Boat Named for Him.” News and Observer. April 29, 1949. P. 8.
- “Governor Fills Two More Boards.” Statesville Record and Landmark. July 8, 1955. P. 10.
- “Obituaries: Merrill J. Evans.” News and Observer. October 27, 1993. Section B, p. 6.
- “Umstead Names 4 to College Board.” Charlotte News. August 7, 1953. P. 9.
- Whiteleather, Alan K. “Think N.C. Roads Are Bad? Then Drive Across South, Evans Advises.” Durham Morning Herald. December 6, 1963. P. 11.
Related Materials
Image Source: Coastland Times, May 4, 1962, p. 1.
Image Source: Colonial Echo (William and Mary Yearbook), 1925, p. 50.
Citation Information
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 03/20/2023