John Gary Evans

John Gary Evans was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician who served as the 85th Governor of South Carolina from 1894 to 1897. Born in Cokesbury, South Carolina, he was the son of Confederate general Nathan George Evans. Elected at the age of 31, he was the youngest person to serve as Governor of South Carolina at that time. During his governorship, he continued the reform policies of his predecessor Benjamin Tillman and presided over the state constitutional convention of 1895. He later served as a major in the United States Army during the Spanish–American War and spent decades as a prominent figure in South Carolina's Democratic Party.