physician, professor, b. Westchester, Pa. He graduated from the Univ. of Pennsylvania (M.D., 1899). He did postgraduate work in bacteriology in Europe, and in 1902 returned to Philadelphia, where he opened a private practice and also served as instructor in clinical medicine and research associate in bacteriology at the university. In 1910 Evans came to the Univ. of Wisconsin to become professor of clinical medicine and director of the newly founded student health service (the second in the country). He also served as chairman of the department of medicine (1910-1945). In these capacities Evans played a primary role in the development of the medical school. He successfully weathered the protests of local interests against the "socialized" student health service, and, with Charles R. Bardeen (q.v.), was a primary figure in securing a four-year medical course at the university. Evans became a close friend of Governor Emanuel Philipp and frequently acted in a liaison capacity between university presidents Van Hise and Birge and the governor's office. In 1920 he played the major role in persuading Governor Philipp to obtain funds for the Wisconsin General Hospital, and when the hospital opened in 1924 the first full medical training became possible on the university campus. The first medical degrees were granted by the university in 1927. Evans was also instrumental in creating the Service Memorial Institute (1928), which housed the basic science departments of the medical school. He retired in 1945. M. Curti and V. Carstensen, Univ. of Wis. (2 vols., Madison, 1949); Who's Who in Amer., 21 (1940); Univ. of Wis. Faculty Memorial, Document 843, Apr. 5, 1948 (on file in office of secretary of the faculty).

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

Learn More

Dictionary of Wisconsin History

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]