Gregory Walter Evans

Gregory W. Evans is an engineer, author, and historian. A graduate of the California Institute of Technology (B.S., 1969) and Stanford University (M.S., 1975), Evans built a career at the intersection of technology and defense eletronic systems.

His latest work, Into Stability: Walter R. Evans and the Story of Root Locus, celebrates the life and legacy of his father, Walter R. Evans-the engineer whose Root Locus method revolutionized control-system design and became a cornerstone of modern engineering education. Drawing from decades of correspondence, laboratory reports, and aerospace archives, Evans reconstructs the mid-century world of Autonetics, Caltech, and the early missile and guidance systems that shaped the space age.

Beyond chronicling a pivotal technical innovation, Evans's writing highlights the personal qualities that drive creative problem-solving-curiosity, persistence, and humility-and explores how these values link generations of engineers. His research spans not only control theory but also family history, with earlier works focused on nineteenth-century emigration, faith, and resilience among ancestors in Wales, England, and the American Midwest.

In Into Stability, Evans traces the invention and evolution of one of engineering's most enduring analytical tools. Using thousands of pages of letters, technical papers, and family archives, he reconstructs not only his father's professional life but also the postwar world of American aerospace innovation at North American Aviation and beyond.

Beyond engineering history, Evans has authored five and edited twi works of genealogical nonfiction that combine meticulous documentation with an engaging narrative style to bring both technical and personal histories to life.

A lifelong photographer, Evans lives in California. When not writing or editing, he enjoys exploring landscapes with a camera. Through his books, he celebrates the spirit of invention that connects past and present generations of engineers.