William Arthur Evans was born in Williamson, West Virginia, on January 31, 1931. He graduated from Marshall College in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He served in the West Virginia Army National Guard and rose from a private to his retirement rank of colonel and chief of staff in 1983 with 40 years of service. He was called to active duty in 1961-62 during the Berlin Crisis. He was also called to active duty during the Buffalo Creek flood.
Many community service projects followed. Evans was elected to three terms totaling 14 years on Huntington City Council and was appointed mayor for the 1976-77 term. In 1976, he was responsible for bringing the Bicentennial Freedom Train to Huntington. He was directly involved in the funding and construction of the Civic Arena, the Ritter Park Amphitheater, Safety Town, downtown urban renewal projects such as the parking garage on 4th Avenue and Heritage Village.
He was named a director emeritus of Big Brothers-Big Sisters of the Tri-State for his dedication and involvement. He volunteered with the Salvation Army and the City of Huntington Foundation, Inc. Evans was the driving force behind the lighting of the trees on the 9th Street Plaza and a river walk during the holiday seasons.
