Hans W. Eberhard
Hans W. Eberhard is a Business Man, Author and Historian in his own right.
Founder of Tricentennial Foundation Mr. Eberhard came to the United States in 1949 and developed an early interest in international relations and foreign trade, particularly trade between Germany and the Western United States.
He joined the German American Business Association (GABA) in 1954 (which was established in Los Angeles in 1932) and became its presiding officer in 1961.
He was a member of the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Council of Foreign Visitors; he received the City ‘s Human Relations Award; and, he also served as German language proficiency examiner for the Los Angeles Police Department.
He has written an important book, entitled, “THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN AMERICANS IN EARLY LOS ANGELES“. It describes the significant role played in helping to build America by German Americans in the early growth and development of Southern California. The book is available at the L.A. County library, or by contacting the Tricentennial Foundation, (818) 893-0995.
From 1957 to 1979 he organized and managed the largest German consumer product show on the U.S. west coast with 1.4 million visitors in 17 days, for 23 consecutive years.
Mr. Eberhard has received numerous citations and awards from State and local governmental agencies. For his distinguished contributions to the advancement of German American relations, the President of Federal Republic of Germany has conferred on him the rare honor of twice awarding him that nation’s Order of Merit, the second award being the Officers Cross.
Hans W. Eberhard named Reagan Associate
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley, California, has awarded Hans W. Eberhard, Chairman of the Tricentennial Foundation (“a national charitable and educational trust”), the designation of Reagan Associate. It was given during this Reagan Centennial year in recognition of Mr. Eberhard’s important role as a key organizer in the German American community for the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency in both 1980 and 1984.
His began in 1979 when then-California Governor Reagan named Mr. Eberhard as chairman of German Americans for Reagan. During 1983/84, the German American Tricentennial year celebration, which commemorated 300 years of German immigration to America, was authorized by Congress and signed by President Reagan. Mr. Eberhard was appointed as California’s state commissioner in the U.S. Presidential Commission for the German American Tricentennial in Washington DC. In 1986, he initiated historic legislation to establish a national German American Day, now the White House proclaims this celebration each year, which was also passed by Congress and signed into public law 100-104 by President Reagan. In 1987-1989, he served as State Chairman, California Republican Heritage Groups Council, a statewide organization of ethnic community leaders. During 1988 (an election year), he was a member of the California delegation at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a California delegate to the prestigious presidential Electoral College.
In 1987 – 89 Hans W. Eberhard served as State Chairman, California Republican Heritage Groups Council, chartered by the California Republican Party and the NRHGC as an official volunteer organization representing 15 separate ethnic groups. He was appointed by California Governor to the U.S. Presidential Tricentennial Commission in Washington D.C. Subsequently, he served and continues to serve as national chairman of the Tricentennial Foundation and chairman of the German American Republican Association of California. He was a member of the California delegation at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans and he was a member of the Electoral College. In 1968 he was awarded the Cross of Merit with Ribbon (Knight’s Cross) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2001 he was again decorated, this time with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He is the author of “The History of the German Americans in early Los Angeles”.