Disability History Fact: Dale Evans
Office of the Governor Texas sent this bulletin at 10/21/2013 08:00 AM CDTCommittee on People with Disabilities
Dale Evans (1912 – 2001), actress, singer and wife of Roy Rogers, was born Frances Octavia Smith in Uvalde, Texas. She and Roy Rogers had several children from previous marriages and from adoptions, but had only one biological child together – Robin, who was born in 1950 with Down syndrome and heart conditions. At the time, parents were encouraged to place babies with developmental disabilities in institutions, but Dale and Roy refused to do so and embraced their daughter with love and attention. Robin died just before her second birthday. Being a parent to a child with Down syndrome inspired Dale Evans to write her first, and perhaps most well known, of many inspirational books, titled Angel Unaware. The book and Evans’ advocacy were influential in changing the public’s perception of children with developmental disabilities. Dale Evans has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Adapted from:
Martin Donell Kohout, "EVANS, DALE," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fev27), accessed September 27, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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