William Graham Everson (July 1, 1879 – September 13, 1954) was a major general in the United States Army who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Early life William Graham Everson was born in Wooster, Ohio on July 1, 1879. He was raised in Indiana, and joined the Army for the Spanish–American War, enlisting in Company E, 158th Indiana Infantry, and rising through the ranks to first sergeant.United Spanish War Veterans, Department of Indiana, General Orders, 1937Hyacinthe Ringrose, The International Blue Book, 1926, page 130
Subsequent career Everson received his ordination as a Baptist minister in 1901, and was the pastor of churches in Boston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Muncie. He also became a well known public speaker as a lecturer on the Chautauqua Circuit.Frank D. Haimbaugh, History of Delaware County, Biography, William G. Everson, 1924
In 1903 Everson graduated from Franklin College, and in 1905 he was commissioned in the Indiana National Guard as a first lieutenant in the Chaplain Corps.International Herald Tribune, The Front Page, 1887-1992, 1992, page 62Oregon Guardsman, The New Chief, November 15, 1929, page 1 In 1908 Everson graduated from Newton Theological Seminary.Newton Theological Institution, Bulletin - The Newton Theological Institution, Volumes 1–2, 1906, page 13Andover Newton Theological School, Annual Catalog, 1912, page 262 He was promoted to captain in the 3rd Indiana Infantry in 1909, major in 1914 and lieutenant colonel in 1918.U.S. Army Adjutant General, Recruiting News, The Chief of the Militia Bureau, February 1, 1931
World War I Everson was promoted to colonel and commander of the 332nd Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 83rd Infantry Division.Matthew J. Seelinger, Army Historical Foundation, "Viva l'America!" The 332d Infantry on the Italian Front, 2013 The 332nd served in Italy, and were the only American troops to serve east of the Adriatic Sea, carrying out operations in Austria, Dalmatia, Serbia, and Montenegro.Joseph L. Lettau, In Italy with the 332nd Infantry, 1921, page 62
The awards and decorations Everson received for his World War I service included: War Merit Cross (Italy); Italian Sanctus Georgius (Saint George), Silver (for valor); Fatiche di Guerra (Italy) (for soldiers who served in the war zone for one year or more); Duca D'Aosta Medal (Italy) (for soldiers who served in or with the Italian Third Army); and the Star and Crown of Fiume (for defense of the Free State of Fiume).
Post World War I Everson continued his military service after the war. In 1922 he was promoted to brigadier general as commander of the 76th Infantry Brigade.Army-Navy Publications, Pictorial History Thirty-Eighth Division, 1941, page 137 Everson subsequently served as Adjutant General of Indiana.O. K. Quivey, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, The Record, Fighting Parson Made Prexy, Volume 58, Issue 4, 1938, page 384
Everson served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana from 1921 until 1929."Fighting Parson", First Baptist Church Muncie, https://www.fbcmuncie.org/history
He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1923 and the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1928.Oregon Guardsman, The New Chief, November 15, 1929, page 1
National Guard Bureau In 1929 Everson was promoted to major general and appointed as Chief of the Militia Bureau.Chicago Tribune, , February 9, 1930 He served in this position until 1931, when he resigned in order to return to the ministry, accepting a position with the First Baptist Church in Denver.Ralph Albert Parlette, The Lyceum Magazine, Volume 41, 1931, page 11
Later career In 1931 Everson received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Franklin College.Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Pan-Pacific Who's Who, 1941, page 209 From 1939 to 1943 he served as President of Linfield College.Christian Century Company, The Christian Century, Volume 60, 1943, page 305
Everson Street on the campus of Linfield U in McMinnville, Oregon, is named for William G. Everson, a former Linfield College president. Source: Linfield U Campus Map https://www.linfield.edu/assets/files/admission/mcminnville-campus-map.pdf Source: Wildcatville blog https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2024/03/everson-street-on-campus-of-linfield-u.html
During World War II, he was chairman of the Oregon Enemy Alien Hearing Board, which conducted hearings for non-citizen Japanese residents of Oregon who were detained as possible security risks and made determinations as to whether their detainments should continue. Everson continued to serve in the military until reaching mandatory retirement age in 1945.William R. Denslow, 10,000 Famous Freemasons, Part One (A–J), 2004, page 30
Retirement and death In retirement Everson resided in Portland, Oregon, where he died on September 13, 1954. He is buried at Riverview Abbey in Portland.Thomas E. Spencer, Where They're Buried, 2009, page 543
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