Charles R. Evenson's Legacy of Action

“No one ever does anything significant by acting alone”

Charles R. Evenson

Photo Credit: Annalise Steketee

A sixty three-year resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan Charles R. Evenson was a world citizen. He had a keen interest in the social, political and economic conditions of all people. He was an unpretentious and anonymous humanitarian that invested strategically in environmental preservation, education and spiritual institutions and based his giving on acts of creative gratitude.

Widely known as the owner of Michigan Wheel Company, in its heyday it was the nation’s largest manufacturer of propellers for pleasure boats, fishing craft, racing boats and PT Boats of the Navy. A native of Baraboo, Wisconsin Mr. Evenson served as a PFC in World War I and later after graduating from the University of Wisconsin he moved to Grand Rapids in 1925 to take a job as a clerk at the Michigan Wheel Company. By 1932 he was named President and eventually purchased the company.

Under his direction, Michigan Wheel developed the first technology for mass production of balanced, or tuned boat propellers. He convinced Evinrude Outboard Motors to use his propellers and that launched Michigan Wheel into being the only tuned propeller on the market making the company and Mr. Evenson financially successful. A staunch believer in promoting social progress, under his leadership, the company developed and instituted one of the first employee profit-sharing programs in Michigan.

Always an enthusiastic outdoorsman, he made frequent trips to Alaska to enjoy wilderness fishing and camping. The beauty and majesty of the wilderness had an enormous impact on him and when he returned from these trips, he saw an opportunity to use his influence to protect and preserve the environment to help people find wild places close to home and to invest in needed social institutions to help improve the quality of life. Some of his anonymous contributions helped launch the following major initiatives:

Agreed to fund the development of a strategy to protect the North Slope of Alaska from development if a coalition of national environmental organizations could be convened to work toward that goal. This effort resulted in the creation of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
Financial and strategic support for wildlife conservation efforts in Africa.
Agreed to finance the startup of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council if it could unite the dozens of nature, conservation and garden groups in Western Michigan with a strategic focus.
Provided financing and strategic counsel for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council’s successful lawsuit to stop Shell Oil from drilling in Michigan’s Pigeon River Wilderness area.
Founder of Trout Unlimited.
Supported numerous small colleges and universities in Michigan interested in developing creative and inspiring leaders.
Major benefactor for promoting spiritual and social programs at Fountain Street Church.

Charles Evenson was in love with the beauty of the world and invested in people for his belief in their inherent goodness. He had an innate gratitude for the abundance of life in all its forms and invested his time and money not to emblazon his name, but out of the sheer joy and appreciation of improving the quality of life by bringing people with similar goals together to affect needed change.