Remembering Edward W. ‘Ned’ Evans, a Driving Force of Carnegie Mellon’s Printing Program
MT. LEBANON, PA—March 7, 2012—Edward W. “Ned” Evans, a retired teacher and department head at Carnegie Mellon University’s Undergraduate Business School, now Tepper School of Business, died Monday of complications from a stroke at Asbury Heights Health Center in Mt. Lebanon. He was 81.
Born in Pittsburgh, Mr. Evans was raised in Mt. Lebanon and attended Mt. Lebanon High School. He graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Printing Management.
Mr. Evans was also in the ROTC Program, and was called to serve in Korea in 1953 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He rose to Commanding Officer of the 8038th Engineering Map Reproduction Detachment in the 8th Army in Seoul, Korea, and left the Army in 1954 as a 1st Lieutenant.
Then Mr. Evans went to work for the Miller Printing Machinery Co. in Pittsburgh as an assistant to the marketing manager. After a very successful 25-year career, he left Miller as vice president of sales and market planning.
In 1977, Mr. Evans returned to Carnegie Institute, now Carnegie Mellon University, and revived the Printing Management Program, which had been dormant since 1964. An industry pioneer and visionary, he foresaw the impact that computers would have on the printing industry.
Mr. Evans recognized the need to train future executives who would be able to manage rapid technological change. He was quoted in 1977 as saying, “Our goal is to prepare managers capable of adapting to future technological developments by providing the students with thorough backgrounds in management science and computer-based graphic communications systems.”
From 1977 until his retirement in 1995, he dedicated himself to that cause and changed the face of the printing industry by teaching and influencing a great number of current industry leaders. One of Mr. Evans’ students was 1986 graduate Marc Olin, who went on to become senior vice president and general manager for Commercial Print Systems for EFI.
Olin said, “Ned was truly a visionary within the printing industry, recognizing the trends that were coming long before they were generally acknowledged, and preparing me and the other GCM graduates for the challenging yet exciting years ahead for the industry. Ned personally provided me the guidance which helped shape my career and helped launch me on the path that led to co-founding Prograph, Printcafe, and now my current position at EFI.”
Mr. Evans married the love of his life, Mary Ann Hogsett in 1955 and raised his family in Mt. Lebanon. Ned and Mary Ann had three children, Carlyn, Gary and Laura, and they took great pride in the accomplishments of their children. They were very active in the community and in the school district, including many years as leaders of Mt. Lebanon Band Builders.
After living on Altadena Dr. in Mt. Lebanon for almost 40 years, the couple retired to the Asbury Heights Retirement Community in 2009, where they formed many close friendships. Ned and Mary Ann loved to travel and enjoyed the company of close friends, many of whom they have known for decades. Ned loved technology, music, art, the Steelers and Pirates, and his family.
In addition to Mary Ann, his loving wife of 56 years, Mr. Evans is survived by his children, Carlyn Evans (Glenn Golden) of Ann Arbor, MI, Gary Evans (Sally) of Bridgeville, PA, and Laura Booth (Andy) of Mt. Lebanon. He also is the proud “Papa” to eight grandchildren: Zachary, Samuel and Grace Evans-Golden, Curtis, Melissa and Michael Evans, and Samantha and Juliana Booth. He is preceded in death by his parents, Mildred (Gibson) and David Evans, and his brother, Robert Evans.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 18, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. in the Hickman Chapel at Asbury Heights, 700 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Four Gateway Center, 444 Liberty Avenue, Ste. 1300, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1207 or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 960 Penn Ave., Suite 1000, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.