CHAPTER 1: st. Louis

 Walter Evans’ journey to revolutionizing control systems engineering started in St. Louis, Missouri, a city that had quietly shaped generations of thinkers, innovators, and engineers. His  roots, both familial and intellectual, were deeply embedded in this city’s educational institutions, its intellectual circles, and its values. To understand the genesis of root locus, one must first understand the environment that nurtured its creator.

A Family That Valued Knowledge

Walter Evans was the youngest of four children in a family that placed a high premium on education. His maternal great-grandfather, James X Allen, had served as a surgeon in the Civil War. In the 1870s he attended a medical college that later formed the foundation for Washington University’s Medical School, a remarkable achievement for the time. His maternal grandfather, Samuel Rostron Burgess, was a founder of the West End Chess Club, and his wife, Eveline Allen, Burgess, was the United States Women’s Chess Champion in 1906. His mother, Sybilia Burgess Evans, was second in her class. Both Walter’s father, Gomer Evans, and two brothers Cedric and Sam Evans, graduated from Washington University with Engineering Management degrees, solidifying a family legacy steeped in analytical rigor and disciplined thought.

Evans’ academic journey formally began at Soldan High School. It was here that he first encountered both intellectual stimulation and companionship. Geometry was his favorite subject, as evidenced in these comments he wrote to the author’s high school geometry teacher: “Math has always been a game for me and now is a good part of my livelihood. Geometry used to provide (me) a steady diet of looking for a pattern that would lead to a solution before settling down to the detail of writing down all the steps." 

Moreover, in geometry class he met Arline Pillisch, marking the beginning of a lifelong partnership. Arline was a brilliant student, becoming class valedictorian in 1937. The two young scholars set out on their respective paths, but their connection would endure. Her steadfast encouragement, patience, and belief in Evans’ work were essential in his development. While Walter would go on to make significant contributions to engineering, Arline’s role in his life was no less impactful—she was, in many ways, another root of root locus.