Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Evans Industries, Inc. (Deceased) – Detroit, Michigan
Robert Evans is a well known industrialist and inventor, Chairman and CEO of Evans Industries and the former Chairman and Director of American Motors. He was educated at the University of Michigan and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. During his business career he has reorganized and saved over forty companies that were faltering, American Motors being one of his outstanding turnaround accomplishments. His own company, Evans Industries, Inc., is a conglomerate of over twenty individual operating manufacturing companies. He also owns R.B. Evans Oil Company, an oil exploration and production company. As an inventor Mr. Evans designed and introduced the first high speed hydrofoil boat and built the first jet powered boat in America. His boats held many official and unofficial world speed records. He formed the first glider club in America and helped design present day gliders as we know them, teaching over 225 students in World War II days to become glider pilots. Among his many awards are the Horatio Alger and Golden Plate Awards for achievement in business. He has been active in the Republican Party and in 1984 was presented the Western Michigan Republican Distinguished Service Award and has received the first Distinguished Republican Award. At the request of President Reagan he became a Commissioner of the German-American Tricentennial. He serves on the board for the Michigan State Chamber of Commerce, is a past president of the City of Detroit’s Civic Center Commission and serves on the Advisory Board of the Detroit Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. “The most important thing we have is this remarkable free enterprise system that made this country great.”
