The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-05-12

Inc new chairman OF the Stat
Highway Commission isn't a new.
conner to the bodybuilding bust
ness. Merrill Evans of Ahoskie be.
gan his highway work some s.
years ago as a truck driver. .
His appointment was made earlS
this year by Governor Terry San
ford. Evans fills the un-expirec
term of ]. Melville Broughton, Jr.
of Raleigh, who resigned afte,
more than three years as chairman
of the Highway Commission.
The new roads chairman began
work with the Highway Depart
ment shortly after graduation from
college in 1925. His first job, which
paid $50 per month, was driving a
truck on a construction project.
During this time, he worked with
Resident Engineer Tom Wilson, in
constructing the 80 mile long road
from the Currituck County Court
house to Point Harbor. Evans later
served as a bridge inspector and
rodman and his salary was increas-
ed to $85 a month.
Although Evans left the High
way Department later, he retained
a strong interest in bodybuilding
Under Governor Gregg Cherry's
administration, he served four
year term, from 1915 until 1949, rs
a member of the Highway Commits
sion, when the roads body number
ed 10 persons. 1t was during this
time that Evans saw improvements
made to a number of secondary
roads in his native northeast corner
of the State, even though the Sec
ondary Roads bond issue money
was not yet available. AS a high
way commissioner, Evans also saw
the paving of the Hatteras Road to
Avon, providing better transporta-
ton facilities for outer banks resi-
dents and visitors.
The new Commission chairman
grew up on the family farm at
Grandy in Currituck County ano
received his education in the Cur
rituck County schools and at Will
lam and Mary College, where he
graduated with a liberal arts de-
gree in 1925.
After working for the Highway
Department, he moved to Ahoskie
during the depression and served
as a liquidating agent for fertilizer
accounts. In addition to his farm
supply and fertilizer business, he
operates a life insurance agency
and public relations business out OF
his Ahoskie home.
In addition to his term on the
Highway Commission, he has serv-
ed three terms in the Legislature
two in the Senate and one in the
House, during the early forties. He
served as a member of the Hartford
County Board of Commissioners
for six years, but did not seek re-
election this year. He was active in
the recent campaign of Governor
Terry Sanford, serving as an Off
cial area manager in 10 northeast
ern counties of the State.
Evans was an early booster fol
a rural bond issue in 1949. He sug-
gested such an issue to Charles
johnson, Kerr SCOTS opponent fol
the Democratic gubernatorial nom
nation. Although johnson did moi
advocate the idea, Scott picked il
up and made it the number one pro-
gram of his administration.
Evans is married to the former
Margaret Smith of Natchez, Miss.
and they have two sons, Andre J
Evans, an attorney at Virginia
Beach and Merrill, Jr., a secone
year law student at Wake Forest
College. An active member of the
Baptist Church, Evans has taught
the Mems Bible Class at Ahoskies
First Baptist Church for the pas
20 years, a service which is broad
cas- over the local radio station.