This is a complete transcript of the oral history interview with Elizabeth Morrell Evans (CN 279, T3) for the Billy Graham Center Archives. No spoken words which were recorded are omitted. In a very few cases, the transcribers could not understand what was said, in which case [unclear] was inserted. Also, grunts and verbal hesitations such as “ah” or “um” are usually omitted. Readers of this transcript should remember that this is a transcript of spoken English, which follows a different rhythm and even rule than written English. Three dots indicate an interruption or break in the train of thought within the sentence of the speaker. Four dots indicate what the transcriber believes to be the end of an incomplete sentence. ( ) Word in parentheses are asides made by the speaker. [ ] Words in brackets are comments made by the transcriber. This transcript was created by Robert Shuster, Elisabeth Browne, and Kerry Cox and was completed in February 1990. Please note: This oral history interview expresses the personal memories and opinions of the interviewee and does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Billy Graham Center Archives or Wheaton College. © 2017. The Billy Graham Center Archives. All rights reserved. This transcript may be reused with the following publication credit: Used by permission of the Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. BGC Archives CN 279, T3 Transcript - Page 2 Collection 279, Tape 3. Oral history interview with Elizabeth Morrell Evans by Robert Shuster on August 26, 1985. SHUSTER: This is the interview with Miss Elizabeth Evans by Robert Shuster for the Archives of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. This interview took place at 9:30 on August the 26, 1985 at the offices of the Billy Graham Center. Miss Evans, I've got some of this material which you sent me. There's letters about people's memories of Dr. Wright. There's a quote here from Edward J. Hales [pastor of the First Baptist Church of Wheaton, IL in 1979, formerly promotional secretary of the National Association of Evangelicals and director of the Rumney Center]. He says, "If I have any great regret, it's that this man who was, after all, one of the most unique men of the Evangelical church in America, has been so little remembered in these latter years. He is literally the father of the National Association of Evangelicals [NAE] and the World Evangelical Fellowship [WEF]. And it seems obvious to me that neither of these organizations would have come into being or had any kind of life or vitality, which they have had, had it not been for his vision.” Why does Reverend Hale call Dr. Wright the father of the NAE? EVANS: Well, a good many people called him the father of the NAE. Clyde Taylor, Dr. Ockenga have both said that. And I have statements of Dr. Ockenga that say he believes they would not have been started had it not been for Dr. Wright. The reason was Dr. Wright had a tremendous sense of the unity of the body of Christ. He felt that we should all be one in spirit, all of us who believe in the great Evangelical truths of the Bible. And he started the New England Fellowship on that principle, of...that in the essential things, that there would be unity, and in non-essential things, there we would have charity for each other. And therefore, "We should be able to at least shake hands over the tops of the fences," he sometimes said, with all of our different brethren who love the Lord Jesus Christ. The criteria in the Bible itself is practically, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God then you're a brother with everyone else. And on the differences, they are non-essential, more a matter of...of how you carry on your church worship than of doctrinal differences. I believe that many people who came to the New England Fellowship as speakers were very much interested in knowing the unity of the body of Christ. Do I stop? SHUSTER: No, no, you're doing fine. EVANS: And the Lord...and the Lord showed them tremendous spirit of fellowship and of love. Brothers would give each other [unclear] and talk about their personal problems and church problems with each other. Sometimes [unclear] what denomination they were. There was very little said about denomination at the conferences. We had them not only at Rumney, at our headquarters for summer conferences, but all over New England we had these speakers who went. And always it was de...interdenominational. And it was almost a love feast in all the different centers for we finally had four circuits going sending the very finest speakers all over New England each month so that the people could gather together for seventy miles around of all denominations. And so many times those who had not heard the real, true Gospel would be so tremendously impressed and say, "This is what we used to hear and we are so interested in it." These speakers would say, "We should have this all over the country © 2017. The Billy Graham Center Archives. All rights reserved. This transcript may be reused with the following publication credit: Used by permission of the Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. BGC Archives CN 279, T3 Transcript - Page 3 and we should...we should organize in some way." Dr. Wri...Wright was impressed with this and the Board of Directors of the New England Fellowship asked that he go across the country and talk with leaders about it. His first trips were about in 1937. SHUSTER: Do you recall some of the leaders he talked with? EVANS: Yes. He talked with Dr. [H. A.] Ironside. He talked with Will Houghton. He talked with William Ward Ayer. He went out to the Church of the Open Door. He had a radio group that was very fine. A trio that was unexcelled, always some fine musician, a very fine tenor, or violinist or something of that sort. And he had prepared programs that would be very interest- ing and helpful. And he would take this group across the country. It would not only help them with the financing in New England, which was always very slim, but it would also give him this opportunity to talk with the leaders. And so he went to the major cities where there'd be Evangelical leaders. I remember Kadel [?] Tabernacle.... SHUSTER: Where's that? EVANS: In Buffalo. Kadel Tabernacle I think is in Ohi...Toledo, Ohio, or was. Or, Sydney Corral [?]. He talked with the folks at Moody...Moody Church. He talked with the people in every major city in the...in the course of time. SHUSTER: What were the reactions of these...? EVANS: Oh, very favorable. They...they all felt that there should be a united movement in the country. The Evangelicals should get together. And there had been several things that had happened that enabled him to show how important it was. SHUSTER: What were some of those things? EVANS: Well, one of them was, Charlie Fuller was told he could not have his music. Petrillo wouldn't let him. SHUSTER: Who was Petrillo? EVANS: [James Caesar] Petrillo was the head of the largest union of musicians, I don't know just what it was called, but he was very, very powerful. And he said no music should be used on the radio at all unless there were the union members of his union. SHUSTER: Playing? EVANS: And he told.... Pardon me? SHUSTER: Unless his union members were playing the music? © 2017. The Billy Graham Center Archives. All rights reserved. This transcript may be reused with the following publication credit: Used by permission of the Billy Graham Center Archives, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. BGC Archives CN 279, T3 Transcript - Page 4 EVANS: Yes, unless they...playing or singing. And he told Charles Fuller that he had to have all union members, that he had to unionize. Charles Fuller said, "I cannot do it. Conscientiously, I can not do it. These are all volunteers. Nobody is paid any salary, and they don't believe in the union and they can't afford to join the union just... (and pay dues) just to sing in...in my choir on a...on Sunday evening.” And he refused to do it. So Petrillo said, "Alright, you won't have any music on Sunday night.” He called Dr. Wright first thing Monday morning. SHUSTER: Fuller called Dr. Wright? EVANS: Dr. Fuller. He said, "Did you notice anything about the music last night?" and Dr. Wright said, "Yes, I noticed that there wasn't music. What happened?” And he told him. Now he said, "Would you please look after it?" and Dr. Wright said, "Yes.” And he went immediately to Washington and he talked with the senators there. But especially with.... [Pauses] Dear, I'm so sorry, for the moment the name...I forget. Very...quite a well-known senator, and he said...he told him the story and the senator said, "We will get right at it in the Senate. You tell him that if he doesn't do differently, why we'll have a Senate investigation.” He said, "He's too large with his britches now." And the President asked...the President said that the Marine Corp would play at a special benefit and Petrillo said, "No, you won't," and they didn't. He said, "He's gotten too big, and we've just been waiting for a good chance to put him down in his place.