Dr. George P. Evans, of 33 Berva Drive, Bradford, a noted journalism educator and communication specialist, died Monday (June 12, 2023) in Erie.

He was born on Dec. 23, 1943, in South Plainfield, NJ. 

He is survived by his wife, Susan Irene (nee Cavalline), of Bradford. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Anne Evans, of South Plainfield, and a brother, Dennis, of Princeton, NJ. Besides his Bradford home, Dr. Evans and his wife enjoyed their second home at 218 Stockton Ridge, at Foxmoor, in Cranberry Township, PA. 

During the past decade he devoted most of this time and support to the Evans- Krivak Gynecological Cancer Research and Education Fund, which he and his wife, an ovarian cancer survivor, endowed to raise funds for ovarian cancer, which remains one of the least funded and understood among cancers. 

Dr. Evans was a journalism professor at St. Bonaventure University for 29 years, hired as one of the youngest instructors at the college in 1966. He retired from that position in 1995 to enter into private practice as proprietor of Communication Services. In addition, in 2005 he was named senior project manager for Northeast Division of Finnegan & Company, of Little Rock, AR, a leading national grant and procurement consulting firm. Immediately upon his retirement, other than his own business, he was named a research analytical consultant for Carr Marketing Communications of Amherst, NY, a position which he held until his death. 

He was a cum laude graduate of Rider University in 1965, where he served as editor of the campus newspaper in his senior year and was a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity and recipient of the Frederick Ferris Journalism Scholars Award. 

He also earned a master’s degree in mass communication from The Ohio University, in 1966, and went on to earn a Ph.D., with distinction, from Syracuse University, in 1975, in mass communication and political science. His doctoral dissertation on freedom of expression in college newspapers had won nationwide acclaim among scholars and the legal and media professions, and has been cited frequently in academic and journalism journals over the years. While at Ohio, he was an assistant to renowned mass communication scholars Drs. Guido Stempel and Ralph Kliesch. At Syracuse, his doctoral adviser was Dr. Henry Schulte, a former foreign correspondent and dean of the renowned and fully accredited S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication. While in residence at Syracuse, Dr. Evans also taught courses in depth reporting while pursuing his doctoral studies. 

He began his career as a news reporter for the Gannett-owned Courier-News in Plainfield, NJ, and later as a copy editor for the Home News in New Brunswick. 

While at St. Bonaventure, Dr. Evans enjoyed an active career which included chairmanship of the mass communication department in 1983-85 and 1993-95, chairmanship of the annual Press Day, adviser of the award-winning campus newspaper, The Bona Venture, and adviser of the campus yearbook, The Bonadieu.

He was also founder of the school’s annual Sports Symposium, a member of the Honors Council, and developer and director of the renowned Dow Jones Newspaper Fund program, among many other positions. He was known as a champion of student expression and an ardent voice against workplace bullying. His professional preference, as he often cited, was the classroom rather than administrative position in higher education. As department chair, he always insisted on hiring faculty with Ph.Ds from accredited journalism programs. He was admired by legions of alumni.

He was known as the “faithful lieutenant” and “cornerstone” among his colleagues for his behind-the-scenes initiatives in bringing about the designation of the journalism department as full-fledged school of mass communication and journalism, which at the time emphasized writing and reporting instruction which he and Dr. Russell Jandoli, his professional mentor, revered as the pillar of the department’s educational quality.

He succeeded Jandoli as department chair 1983-85. Evans retired, with the status of department chair in 1995. He retired in 1995 as the University faced severe salary inequities and questionable faculty hiring practices. 

In 1989, he was cited as the National Faculty Adviser of the year by the National Council of College Publications Advisers. His achievement was recognized by Governors Robert Casey and Mario Cuomo, as well as by Rep. William Clinger who included the honor in the Congressional Record. 

He was also named a Fellow of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in 1989. Earlier, in 1987, Poynter presented him with the National Teaching Award citing his achievements in higher education and a media advising. In 1988, he was named a Fellow of the American Press Institute’s USA Today journalism studies program. 

Dr. Evans was instrumental in bringing the journalism department into full status as a school of journalism and mass communication which recognized his mentor. At St. Bonaventure, he redesigned academic programs that required senior comprehensive examinations, a quantitative research thesis, and an internship, as well as broadening the department under the umbrella of mass communication. Among graduates whom he taught are a number of renowned journalists in all of the major television networks, radio, daily newspapers, marketing and public relations. 

Dr. Evans was widely known nationally among journalism educators and practitioners. For more than 25 years he was a keynote speaker at the annual Scholastic Press Convention at Columbia University in New York City. He holds the coveted Gold Key from Columbia and lifetime membership in the Columbia School Press Association.

He also had been a judge of college newspaper publications for more than 30 years and a prolific contributor to its national magazine, The School Press Review, which for a time he authored the column, “The Write Way.” He published one textbook on writing and editing in 1973. He was also sought as an expert in press libel cases. 

In June 2015, he was inducted into Rider University’s Olde Guarde Society, recognizing his professional accomplishments and allegiance to Phi sigma Epsilon. 

Locally, Dr. Evans spoke before a number of civic groups, and was the keynote speaker for the 1992 commencement at Bradford Area High School. 

When he retired from higher education, he became primary consultant of Communication Services, a company which he founded that specialized in grant research and writing, focus group and survey research, speech writing, and general public relations and publicity. His clients spanned the nation among public and private sectors. He later joined Finnegan & Company, as well as maintaining his Bradford firm and consultancy for Carr Marketing Communications of Amherst, NY. 

Through his firm, Evans was responsible for earning grants of more than $7 million in nine years for area volunteer fire departments through federal and state programs.

His work with Finnegan involved his expertise in the public safety, municipal government, and renewable energy fields. His work for Carr Marketing required his expertise as a research analyst and facilitator of focus groups and field surveys and crisis communication. 

He was also a full-time consultant for the Bradford Area School District, from 1998-2002, handling competitive grant applications and public relations. He was responsible for the founding of the Bradford Public Schools Foundation, of which he continued to serve as executive secretary until his death, and the author of the district’s first alumni directory. Under his guidance, the Foundation has been quietly responsible for a number of local scholarships including selection and disbursement of the Harry Lasky Scholarships. 

In Bradford, Dr. Evans was a member of St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church and a member in 2010, then president of its Parish Council from 2014-2016, a director and then Board president of Evergreen Elm since 1985 and Board president in 2005- 2007, a member of the Salvation Advisory Board, a director, president (2004-05) and Board chairman (2005-06) of the Bradford Rotary Club, a past Rotary secretary, founder and executive secretary of the Bradford Rotary Foundation, founder and executive secretary of the Bradford Public Schools Foundation, recipient three times of Rotary’s highest award, the Paul Harris Fellow, Assistant Rotary District 7280 Governor 2011- 2017, and a member of the District’s Nominating and Public Relations committees, and a member of the Bradford Club. After 20 years as a Bradford Rotarian, he then joined the Cranberry Township Sunrise Rotary Club in 2017. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Keystone State Music Theater Association in Cranberry Township. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 17, 2023 at the Harriett B. Wick Chapel at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with the Rev. John Jacquel; pastor of the St. Bernard Catholic Church as celebrant. Friends will be received from noon to 1 p.m. at the chapel.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Evans-Cavalline Scholarship fund at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford or to the Evans-Krivak Gynecologic Cancer Research and Education Fund under the auspices of The Pittsburgh Foundation. As a result of contributions to the scholarship and other Pitt endeavors, Dr. Evans and his wife Susan; were inducted into the 1787 Society and the Brackenridge Society of the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland. 

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of the Mascho Funeral Home, Inc.  

Online Condolences can be expressed at www.maschofuneral.com