Evans was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. He
earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering mathematics from North Carolina
A& T University in 1967. Following college, he served his country as a
pilot in the U.S. Navy. After his honorable discharge, he worked for General
Electric and then continued his education at Syracuse University. Evans earned
a master’s of business administration in information systems from that
university in 1973 and completed his Ph.D. in marketing management there in
1982.
At FAMU, Evans taught courses such as “Principles of
Marketing,” “Marketing Management,” “Marketing Research Methods,” and “Marketing
Management Strategy.” He also served as director of the Small Business Center and
an associate SBI dean.
Off campus, Evans was a passionate activist for civil
rights. He was a long time president of the Tallahassee Branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Earlier this year,
the branch named its new headquarters in Frenchtown (719 W. Brevard Street) in
his honor.
Evans is survived by his wife, Connie Hicks-Evans, four
children, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.