Monroe Evans
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monroe E. Evans is an American politician who served as the mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina, from 1965 until 1969.[1] He was the city's first Jewish mayor.[2] Evans helped to lead Fayetteville's desegregation reforms during the 1960s.[3]
Monroe Evans | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina | |
| In office 1965–1969 | |
| Preceded by | Wilber Clark |
| Succeeded by | Charles B.C. Holt |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Mildred (nee Dlugin) Evans |
| Profession | Democratic |
The Evans family are the descendants of Lithuanian Jews who immigrated to the United States.[4] Monroe Evans's father, Isaac Evans, was born in a shtetl in present-day Lithuania in 1877.[4] Evans's brother, Mutt Evans, served as the mayor of Durham, North Carolina, from 1951 to 1963.[3] His nephew, Eli Evans, is the author of The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South.[3][4]
As mayor, Evans helped to lead Fayetteville's desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.[3][5] He worked with various city community and civic leaders to work on the transition. In 2001, Monroe told the Fayetteville Observer, "It was a rough time... But I got a lot of good people to work with. It worked here in Fayetteville."[5] On February 1, 2001, Fayetteville State University (FSU) honored former Mayor Evans and three others for their efforts during the Civil Rights Movement.[5]
Evans later served as an appointed member of the Fayetteville Airport Commission circa 1990 with former mayor Beth Finch.[6]