Historic Washington women: Adele Ferguson and Nancy Evans
One was so well-known (and feared) by lawmakers and others around the Capitol Campus that you could refer to her by just her first name.
The other became the youngest first lady in state history, and is credited with resurrecting a “drafty old” Governor’s Mansion.
They are legendary Bremerton Sun reporter and columnist Adele Ferguson and beloved former first lady Nancy Evans, wife of three-term Gov. Dan Evans. Both women were subjects of Legacy Washington biographies and oral histories written by Chief Historian John C. Hughes, a former editor and publisher for The (Aberdeen) Daily World. You can read Adele’s biography here and Nancy’s story here.
We’re remembering these and other notable women and their contributions to Washington this March as part of Women’s History Month.
Adele Ferguson interviewing a woman during early days as a Bremerton Sun reporter.
In 1961, Ferguson broke the gender barrier in the Capitol Press Corps. It didn’t take the male reporters, or anyone else in Olympia, to realize that “A-dell” wasn’t going to be intimidated by anyone. Hughes wrote:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's reporter had her kicked out of his seat in the press gallery when she sat there unwittingly one day. She told the senior correspondent, the AP's Leroy Hittle, "You know something, Leroy, if this ever happens again and I'm down there sitting, and they have the Sergeant-at-Arms come and throw me out, there's going to be blood and guts all over this chamber. And it isn't going to be mine!" Over the next few months, the guys came to realize they had a formidable competitor who gave as good as she got. "I was no pushover," she says. "I earned their respect."Ferguson left The Sun (and Olympia) in 1993, but continued writing columns that were carried by several Washington newspapers until her death in 2015 at age 90 after a brief illness.
1974 portrait of Nancy Evans.
Hughes’ biography of Nancy Evans recounts her days as a grade-school music teacher named Nancy Bell when she met a rising Seattle politician named Daniel J. Evans. Hughes also profiles her 12 years as first lady, highlighted by raising three sons and by her successful effort to renovate the Governor’s Mansion and opening it up to visitors for the first time in many years. She also was trusted adviser for the three-term governor. Hughes wrote:Dan often took his cues from Nancy - sometimes literally. He gave good speeches, but tended to talk too long. "They worked up this code, where Nancy would cough and Dan would realize he had to wrap it up," says Bill Jacobs, Dan's chief of staff when he was governor and later in the Senate. "One time he was just getting going and she coughs. He couldn't understand why because he thought he was doing pretty well. But he wrapped it up. Afterwards, she said, ‘Why did you quit, Dan? That was really good.' And he said, ‘Well, you coughed.' She laughed and said, ‘Well, I really had to cough!' While that's sort of a frivolous thing, it's an example of how they related to one another and the trust that they had." Wendy Pugnetti, who worked closely with the first lady when she was assistant press secretary in 1973, says, "Nancy is warm, gracious and smart. In today's political world, she would be a shoo-in for elected office. I admired her greatly because she juggled all those roles so well and remained just Nancy."Dan and Nancy Evans reside in Seattle. You can read other Legacy Washington biographies and profiles by visiting its website.
Dan and Nancy Evans being honored at the 1973 Governor's Inaugural Ball.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
