Necrology

Hiram John Evans '37

May. 13, 1916-Dec. 19, 2005

Hiram John Evans ’37, a biologist who concluded his career as a college administrator, was born on May 13, 1916, in Granville, NY, bordering on Vermont. His parents were David J., a banker who died when “Hi” was 15 years old, and Hazel Manchester Evans. With recommendation from the principal of Granville High School that “Hiram Evans will make a very desirable college student,” he was admitted to Hamilton in 1933. He went out for fencing, served on the staff of Hamilton Life, and became president of the Biology Club. A recipient of the Holbrook and Renwick prizes in biology, he was graduated with honors in that field in 1937.

After leaving the Hill, Hi Evans pursued graduate study in biology at Williams College, where he earned an A.M. degree in 1939. He next enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Harvard University, which awarded him his doctorate in biology in 1942. That year, with World War II raging and “Uncle Sam hot on my trail,” he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant and was assigned to its aviation physiology program. Stationed in the Pacific, ranging from New Guinea and the Philippines to Okinawa and Japan, he remained in uniform until 1946, when he was discharged as a major.

Thanks in part to the impact of the G.I. Bill, colleges were then in need to expand their faculties, and Hi Evans quickly found employment, first at Swarthmore College and subsequently, in 1947, as an assistant professor of zoology at Syracuse University. Promoted to associate professor, he remained at Syracuse as vice chairman of the zoology department until 1964. In 1965, after a not particularly happy year at New College in Sarasota, FL, he welcomed the opportunity to return to the snow belt as professor of biology and dean of Curry College in Milton, MA. In 1973, he took on the added responsibility of vice president for research and planning. Dr. Evans, who specialized in embryology and served from 1950 to 1965 as secretary to the board of trustees of Biological Abstracts, retired from Curry in 1979.

That year, Hi Evans and his wife, the former Jean M. Buckland, who were married on August 7, 1944, in Schenectady, NY, took up full-time residence in Pawlet, VT, near Granville. There they renovated the home of Hi’s maternal grandparents, where they had for years spent their summers, and made it their retirement home. Hi Evans became involved in the life of the small town, serving as justice of the peace, election inspector, and Democratic town committeeman. He also became active in the Pawlet Historical Society.

A self-confessed “poor athlete,” who obtained his exercise “by walking to the post office and general store, taking care of the lawn, and shoveling snow,” Hi Evans found pleasure in reading as well as travel, especially to visit his children and grandchildren. In addition, he enjoyed collecting clocks, and for many years had dozens of them chiming simultaneously in his home. Proud of his Welsh heritage (at age 80 he undertook the study of the Welsh language), he was also quite familiar with the lore of the locality and loved to share his stories of Pawlet and Granville. Gregarious and good-humored, and gifted with a large repertoire of songs, he provided delightful companionship to family and friends.

Hiram J. Evans, a faithful alumnus, died at his home in Pawlet on December 19, 2005, of kidney failure, in his 90th year. In addition to his wife of 61 years, he is survived by three daughters, Susan McDougall and Rebecca A. and Anne B. Evans, and eight grandchildren.

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