During the most serious closure threat (1977), several alternate uses for the TESC facilities were discussed, including converting the campus to State offices or a police academy. Sen. Hubert Donohue (D-Dayton) and Sen. "Slim" Rasmussen (D-Tacoma) co-sponsored a bill to make the campus an extension of the University of Washington. The Evans-McCann transfer of power was the spark that set the idea in motion. Of Rasmussen, the Seattle Times said, his "blood pressure rises at just the mention of Evans' name." Two other big name sponsors included Sen. August Mardesich (D-Everett) and Sen. Sam Guess (R-Spokane).

Several topics came up during the debate over Evergreen. TESC was more expensive to run than the other schools, costing more per student. Enrollment was declining. The incredibly low rate of in-state students as compared to other schools was brought up, since Evergreen's original mission was two-fold: to offer an alternative type education, and, here's the sticky part, to serve Southwest Washington.

Here's my personal observation. I graduated from an enormous near-the-peak-of-the-Baby-Boom class in Olympia High School (there was no Capital High School in those days). When I went to Evergreen, I think my high school might have had more students than the College. Out of several hundred OHS grads, only about 10 of us, at most, went to TESC. Out of that small group, only two of us that I am aware of were true products of the Olympia School system, the others were children of Evergreen staff-- meaning they were new to town at that time. The other guy who was a fellow native put in one year then transferred to the UW. So the school got a lot of mileage out me. Many locals who later attended the College told me recruiters used my name (as if I was some sort of somebody, which I wasn't) as proof they were indeed serving SW Washington.

Obviously, the College survived this closure attempt. But the political events of the 1976-77 school year created a crisis that made the new Evans administration begin the process to tighten the reins on some of the charmingly eccentric qualities of Evergroove and make the school more palatable to the powers that be. And, no matter what you might think of this, you have to admit he succeeded with flying colors.