Coming Full Circle

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Colonel Evans possessed a deep passion for photography, consistently capturing cherished moments such as family gatherings, travel adventures, and business endeavors. He skillfully utilized photography and slides to support numerous presentations for fellow Air Force officers, commanders, management executives, business associates and political figures.

XB-70 Valkyrie model is admired by Richard Evans and Jimmy Stewart

Barbara in front of the XB-70 plane

During World War II, Colonel Evans diligently collected photographs from his Air Force service years. Subsequently, as a civilian, he continued photographing and collecting images to aid him in narrating the airplane project stories as a consultant for North American Aviation’s XB-70, Northrop Grumman’s B-1 competition, and Douglas's C-54.

At the peak of the Cold War, the United States was engaged in the development of an enormous, supersonic bomber, the XB-70, capable of reaching Mach 3. Two XB-70s were constructed, one of which tragically crashed. Notably, Colonel Evans had meticulously collected several exquisite color transparencies depicting the two soaring XB-70s.

To further the publication objectives of Evans’ book, we continue to provide the “Museum Edition” to aviation and military museums for research purposes. Last April, we met with the Manuscript Curator of the Research Division Archives at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. We donated the book, Richard Eager A Piot’s Story…, as well as the XB-70 transparencies to the museum archives. We believed that the exceptional transparencies were a valuable addition to the XB-70 collections, given that the surviving XB-70 is currently displayed in its full scale at the museum.

In a remarkable turn of events, the book’s journey has come full circle. We are proud that all book proceeds are gifted to the Air Force Aid Society to support the Colonel Richard Ernest Evans Memorial fund, which is a permanent endowed fund that is used to provide educational scholarship every year to dependents of Airmen and Guardians.

Barbara presents the Richard Eager book to the museum manuscript curator, Christina Stolle

The professional Manuscript Curator who assisted in the Proffer of Gift agreement, shared a personal connection to the Air Force with me. She is an Air Force dependent, and we both share a common heritage. Her parents are both Air Force veterans, and she received scholarship assistance from the Air Force Aid Society to pursue her education, ultimately earning a degree in museum studies.

It was a profound experience to meet someone who had benefited from the very scholarship program that Colonel Evans’ book aims to support. I have included her letter with permission below.

Barbara Evans Kinnear

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Excerpt of letter from Christina Stolle, Manuscript Curator for the National Museum of the United States Air Force:

Bachelor of History from Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA) –  awarded 2003

Master of Arts in Public History from Wright State University (Dayton, OH) awarded 2006

I received a General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant in 1999, in my senior year of high school, graduated from Greenon High School in Enon, Ohio.  As we discussed, I still donate to the Air Force Aid Society – I do this to honor my two of my favorite veterans (my mom and dad) and to try, in some very small way, to repay the 1 million opportunities that the USAF has given me and my family.

I began my work at the NMUSAF as an intern in 2002 – and have been here ever since!  Truly appreciate your father’s service, and the fact that you (and your husband) continue to advocate for lifting up those who work to preserve this important history.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you ever need anything!  Side note -I processed your father’s collection – and just as I imagined – it was a JOY.  

Thank you again for your generosity and patronage!  

Christina Stolle

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