Beyond Themselves: John and Ruth Ann Evans continue a family legacy through planned gifts
When a young man accepted a $68-a-month graduate fellowship in the 1930s, he had no idea that it would change the course of not just his own life, but those of his children and grandchildren. That doctoral student's son, John Evans, became a successful banking executive who continues a legacy of service and philanthropy to higher education and the community.
"Giving of ourselves, in time and resources, is the only way to become bigger than we are," says Evans. "It is the only way to self-fulfillment and real personal happiness. There is no shortcut."
John and his wife Ruth Ann Evans have been active with UC Irvine since 1987, when they joined the Chancellor's Club. Since then, the couple has twice chaired the UCI Medal, and John has served on the UC Irvine Foundation Board of Trustees, the Merage School Dean's Advisory Board, the Claire Trevor Society Leadership Committee and the Physical Sciences Dean's Executive Cabinet.
Now, they are extending their generosity even further, with bequests to create endowments supporting the School of Physical Sciences' Beyond Lecture Series, and music scholarships in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Both John and Ruth Ann were musically inclined since childhood, singing and playing the piano. When the Evanses lived in Iran for two years, they sang with the Tehran Philharmonia Chorus, performing works such as Mozart's Requiem and Handel's Messiah. Today, they remain avid supporters of the arts, especially of UC Irvine's music department and the Pacific Symphony, where John is also a board member. They find that music, like philanthropy, can help expand a person beyond their own narrow experiences, connecting them to the broader world in a deeply meaningful way.
"These texts and this music, they shape us by going into our subconscious minds and becoming part of our RAM memory," explains Evans. "Music helps create a more charitable feeling towards everyone."
Their endowment to the music department is intended to support choral and orchestral activities, and provide scholarships to first-generation students who are also engaged in community service or philanthropy. The goal is for the student to continue the circle of giving in their own life, paying it forward to future generations.
In addition to being lifelong musicians, the Evanses share an intellectual curiosity and a deep religious faith. For years, they have enjoyed attending physical sciences lectures about the farthest corners of the cosmos, the mysteries of black holes, and the search for life on exoplanets.
"In our faith, we believe the universe is brimming with life," says Ruth Ann, who has read extensively about theories of light, both scientific and spiritual.
To ensure the community can continue to be intrigued and inspired by UC Irvine research into the cosmos, the Evanses created an endowment to support the BeyondLecture Series. Now named in their honor, the series features annual talks on topics including astrophysics, cosmology, pure mathematics and particle physics.
The Evanses have made giving back a priority for their four children and eleven grandchildren, as well. Birthdays and Christmas always include a donation to the charity of their choice. Having lived abroad and traveled extensively - including John's treks to Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Himalayas - the family has witnessed global poverty firsthand and believes in the importance of lifting up others.
"With these planned gifts, we like that our own posterity knows that we're taking some of their inheritance and giving it to people who need it," says John. "So, in this way, it continues through our family's generations. Giving and sharing with others raises them to a higher ideal, and that will in turn make them more fulfilled."
