National Council of Congregational Churches
October 1917

 

 

In October 1917, Evans attended the National Council of Congregational Churches in Columbus, Ohio as a delegate. He made a speech urging more support for Negro colleges. A panorama of the delegates was for years displayed in the church. However in April of 2019, someone broke into the education wing and tossed many church records and the panorama and frame from the second floor. With the help of William McCarthy of the Congregational Church Archive and Library in Boston, MA, a copies of portions were scanned from their records and merged into again a panorama. A smaller version of the photo is shown below.

 

Ira Hobart Evans is in the middle of the front row with his hat in his right hand. Rev Kunio K0daira, delegate from California Bay District, is the only Japanese delegate in the photo. He is about three people to the left of Major Ira Evans and about one row back. Others in the Texas delegation was Rev. William H. Hurlbut (1862–1930), pastor of the First Congregational Church, Amarilla, Texas. Evans' wife's maiden name was Hurlbut. Rev. A. E. Ricker was there also. He was the Texas Conference administrator. The Austin church had much correspondence with him, especially with the search for minister. Two "Colored delegates from Texas are listed as absent, Rev. E. W. Benjamin, Paris, Texas, and Rev. B. F. White, Corpus Christi, Texas.