Shortly after Evelyn's birth, her father transferred to submarine duty; he became known for his work in underwater rescue techniques, including development of the Momsen lung.
[1] In 1973, Evelyn Hailey ran for the House of Delegates in Norfolk's seven-member 39th district, along with six incumbent Democrats.
She presented the image of "everyone's fifth-grade teacher," in the words of the Norfolk Ledger-Star, giving chicken recipes to voters.
She finished seventh in the overall voting, behind her fellow Democrats, but defeated the lone Republican incumbent, Albert Teich, 9.55%-8.37%.
Hailey replaced him in a special election on January 13, 1982, defeating Republican Wayne Lustig, 54.3%-46.7%.