Edward P. Evans, also known as Ned Evans, (January 31, 1942 – December 31, 2010) was an American heir, businessman, investor, horse breeder and philanthropist. He was the chairman and CEO of

Macmillan Publishers Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

from 1979 to 1989. He was the owner of Spring Hill Farm, a horse farm in

Fauquier County, Virginia Fauquier is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton. Fauquier County is in Northern Virginia and is a part of the Washington metropolitan area. History In 16 ...

. He is the namesake of

Edward P. Evans Hall Edward P. Evans Hall is the main building of the Yale School of Management at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. Designed by Foster and Partners, it was named for alumnus Edward P. Evans, and completed in 2013. It is known for its ar ...

, the main building at the

Yale School of Management The Yale School of Management (also known as Yale SOM) is the graduate business school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. The school awards the Master of Business Administration (MBA), MBA for Executives ...

Early life

Edward P. Evans was born on January 31, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father,

Thomas Mellon Evans Thomas Mellon Evans (September 8, 1910 – July 17, 1997) was an American financier who was one of the country's early corporate raiders, as well as a philanthropist and Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who won the 1981 Kentucky Derby and ...

, was a corporate raider, horse breeder and philanthropist. He had two brothers. Evans was educated at the

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

. He earned a bachelor's degree from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1964 and a master in business administration from the

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

in 1967.

Business career

Evans began his career by working for his father. By the 1970s, he became the chairman and chief executive officer of one of his family businesses,

H.K. Porter, Inc. H.K. Porter, Inc. (Porter) manufactured light-duty railroad locomotives in the US, starting in 1866. The company became the largest producer of industrial locomotives, and built almost eight thousand of them. The last locomotive was built in ...

He acquired 15% of

in 1979 and served as its chairman and CEO until 1989, when he sold it to the

Maxwell Communication Corporation Maxwell Communication Corporation plc was a leading United Kingdom, British Mass media, media business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It collapsed in 1991 following the Robert Maxwell#Dea ...

for $2.8 billion. He subsequently became an investor.

Equine interests

Evans was the owner of Spring Hill Farm, a 2,800-acre horse farm near

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

. His 250 horses included

Saint Liam Saint Liam (April 13, 2000 – August 22, 2006) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who was voted 2005 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year honors after winning the Donn Handicap, Stephen Foster, Woodward Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic. He d ...

Quality Road Quality Road (foaled March 23, 2006, in Virginia) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Quality Road was bred and owned by Edward P. Evans. He was sired by Elusive Quality, who also sired 2004 Kentucky Derby/Preakness Stakes winner ...

, Minstrella,

Summer Colony The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean or mountains of New England or the Great Lakes. In Canada, the term cottage countr ...

and Gygistar. According to Glenn Petty of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, "Since entering the business in the 1970’s, Evans (and a very few select partners over the years) has produced the earners of more than $75 million." Evans was a member of

The Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the breed registry for Thoroughbred horses in the United States and Canada. It is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing and fulfills that mandate by serving many segments of the industry through its s ...

. According to ''

The Blood-Horse ''BloodHorse'' is a multimedia news organization covering Thoroughbred racing and breeding that started with a newsletter first published in 1916 as a monthly bulletin put out by the Thoroughbred Horse Association.

'', "He was recognized by the

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association {{short description, Organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders. ...

as Virginia’s Breeder of the Year 10 times, most recently in 2010, and he was TOBA’s National Breeder of the Year in 2009."

Death and legacy

Evans died of leukemia on December 31, 2010, at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Shortly before his death, Evans donated $50 million to the

at his alma mater, Yale University, where the

was named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Edward P. 1942 births 2010 deaths People from Fauquier County, Virginia Phillips Academy alumni Yale University alumni Benefactors of Yale University Harvard Business School alumni American chief executives American chairpersons of corporations American investors American racehorse owners and breeders Deaths from leukemia in New York (state) 20th-century American philanthropists Mellon family