Sitting across the table from your celebrity crush is something most people only dream about. But for Evalyn Van Allen-Shalash, that fantasy turned into reality the night Robert Redford came over for dinner.
It was April 1976. The Hollywood star and environmental activist was invited to Iowa City as the guest of honor at the University of Iowa’s Refocus Festival. Dubbed the “largest student run film, photography and video society in the country,” Refocus brought in a number of industry icons for its 10-day spring festival, including directors and actors, Mr. Redford among them.
Redford was there to promote his brand new film, All the President’s Men, and to discuss other political issues of the day. Before he was scheduled to take the stage at Hancher Auditorium for the Midwest premiere of the Watergate-era espionage thriller, Redford had some down time. He also needed a reprieve from local fans around town. That’s when Refocus Festival Director Jerry Jackson, who was showing the actor around campus, turned to the Van Allens for help…