Ronald Evans (astronaut)

Early life and education

Ronald Ellwin Evans entered the world on November 10, 1933, in St. Francis, Kansas, born to Clarence Ellwin "Jim" Evans and Marie A. Evans. He had two younger brothers, Larry Joe Evans and Jay Evans. As a youth, he reached the rank of Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He started his schooling at St. Francis Elementary.

His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Evans began high school at St. Francis High School but left after two months when his family relocated to Topeka, Kansas, so his brother Larry could receive treatment for liver cancer. Larry died in 1951, and his parents separated. At Highland Park High School in Topeka, Evans served on the Student Council, led the Science Club as its president, and played American football as an All-Conference guard.

His brother Dale earned a football scholarship to Kansas State University, played professionally for the Denver Broncos, and later completed two tours of duty in Vietnam with the Marine Corps. Evans pursued electrical engineering at the University of Kansas, starting in September 1951. To pay for college, he obtained a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship. He joined the Sigma Nu fraternity and made extra money by selling Chesterfield cigarettes, including through a vending machine in the fraternity house.

NROTC training required a weekly hour-long parade and summer midshipman cruises: first on the battleship USS Wisconsin, then an introduction to naval aviation at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, and a third-year cruise to Europe aboard the USS Gwin. He was elected to the Sigma Tau, Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Xi engineering honor societies. During his final summer break, he worked in a glass factory. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in June 1956.

Navy

In December 1955 the Navy offered Evans a commission as an ensign and designated him a student aviator. He reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola in February 1956 for basic flight training in the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, making his first solo flight on May 21. He progressed to the North American T-28 Trojan, then trained at Naval Outlying Landing Field Barin in Alabama, practicing carrier landings using a painted outline on the runway in the North American T-6 Texan.

He made six actual landings on the USS Saipan. On January 4, 1957, he reported to Naval Air Station Memphis for instrument flying training, culminating in a ground-controlled approach test. He then learned to fly the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. On April 12, 1957, Rear Admiral Frank P. Akers presented certificates designating Evans and his class as naval aviators; Pollom pinned his aviator wings on his uniform.

Evans became a fighter pilot with Fighter Squadron 142, based at Naval Air Station Miramar but initially aboard the USS Hornet. The squadron flew the North American FJ-3 Fury while awaiting the Vought F8U Crusader. He was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) and married Pollom on December 22, 1957. They had two children: Jaime Dayle and Jon.

NASA

Evans left the USS Ticonderoga on April 21, 1966, and after a mail plane to the Philippines and a Military Air Transport Service flight, reached San Diego on April 28. He flew to Houston on May 1. His family remained in San Diego until his daughter finished school. Evans and his wife Jan bought a four-bedroom house in El Lago, Texas, which was new and unfurnished with no electricity or telephone.

The family drove to Houston in their Rambler station wagon over four days starting June 6, staying initially at Ellington Air Force Base quarters, and moved into the house on July 6. Robert Gilruth presented Evans with his Navy Commendation Medal, a silver star in lieu of his sixth Air Medal, and gold stars in lieu of his seventh and eighth. Evans became a Command/Service Module specialist. He was chosen for the support crew of Apollo 1 along with Ed Givens and Jack Swigert.

The support crew assembled mission rules, flight plans, and checklists, developed procedures in simulators, stood by during spacecraft tests, and set up the cockpit. Evans worked inside the Apollo spacecraft for a couple of hours on January 26, 1967. The support crew then flew back to Houston and upon landing learned that the prime crew had died in a fire inside the spacecraft.

Later years

Jan's parents had retired to Sun City, Arizona, and Jan wanted to move to nearby Scottsdale. Evans found a job as director of marketing at Western America Energy Corporation in Scottsdale but became disillusioned and quit. He then became Director of Space Systems Marketing at Sperry Flight Systems, which made Space Shuttle components. After the president who hired him died, Evans had a falling out with his successor and left to form his own consulting company.

He formed a lucrative partnership with a Japanese entrepreneur building a space exploration theme park. Evans died of a heart attack at his Scottsdale home on April 6, 1990, at age 56. He was buried at Valley Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden in Paradise Valley, Arizona.