Marcellus Hugh Evans

Marcellus Hugh Evans (September 22, 1884 – November 21, 1953) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1935 to 1941. His congressional tenure coincided with the New Deal era and the later years of the Great Depression, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Brooklyn constituents in the United States House of Representatives.

Evans was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 22, 1884. He received his early education in the borough, attending St. John the Baptist School and St. James Academy, both in Brooklyn. These parochial schools provided the foundation for his later professional and political life, grounding him in the local community that he would go on to represent in state and national office.

After completing his preparatory education, Evans pursued legal studies at Fordham University School of Law. He graduated in 1910 and was admitted to the bar that same year. Following his admission, he commenced the practice of law in Brooklyn, establishing himself as an attorney in private practice. His legal career in Brooklyn not only developed his expertise in the law but also brought him into close contact with local civic and political affairs, laying the groundwork for his entry into elective office.

Evans began his political career in the New York State Assembly, where he represented Kings County’s 12th District. He served in the Assembly for five consecutive years, from 1922 through 1926. During this period, he participated in state legislative deliberations at a time of social and economic change in New York, gaining experience in lawmaking and constituent service that would prove valuable in his subsequent roles. His performance in the Assembly helped elevate his profile within the Democratic Party in Brooklyn and across the state.

In 1927, Evans advanced to the New York State Senate, representing the 6th District. He served in the Senate from 1927 to 1934, sitting in the 150th, 151st, 152nd, 153rd, 154th, 155th, 156th, and 157th New York State Legislatures. Over these eight legislative sessions, he was involved in shaping state policy during the late 1920s and the early years of the Great Depression. His extended tenure in the Senate reflected sustained support from his constituents and solidified his standing as a prominent Democratic legislator from Brooklyn.

Building on his state legislative experience, Evans was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives. He won election to the Seventy-fourth, Seventy-fifth, and Seventy-sixth Congresses, serving from January 3, 1935, to January 3, 1941. As a member of the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, marked by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs and efforts to address the economic crisis of the Great Depression. Throughout his three terms, Evans participated in the democratic process at the national level and represented the interests of his Brooklyn constituents in Congress. In 1940, he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination as a Democrat and simultaneously failed in his bid for election as a Republican to the Seventy-seventh Congress, bringing his congressional service to a close at the start of 1941.

After leaving Congress, Evans resumed the practice of law in Brooklyn, returning to the profession in which he had begun his public career. He continued to live and work in the borough that had been the center of his legal and political life. Marcellus Hugh Evans died in Brooklyn on November 21, 1953. He was interred in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York, closing a life spent largely in service to the people of New York City at both the state and national levels.