Heritage, Volume 14, Number 4, Fall 1996 Page: 24
30 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Swiss Native Becomes Strong Texas Supporter
By Gene KraneJackie Stocker
describes her husband
Hermann as
a chameleon of
sorts. When
Jackie worked for
an association of
petroleum marketers,
she claims
that Hermann
fancied himself an
oil man. And
when Jackie took
the job as executive
director of the
Texas Historical
Foundation,
Hermann became
an expert on
Texas history.
Though that transformation was a little
hard to pull off because of his very strong
Swiss accent, Hermann has, without a
doubt, been a dedicated supporter of his
adopted state and the foundation that promotes
the preservation of Texas heritage.
Even when Jackie resigned the THF
position, Hermann maintained his association
with the preservation group. In fact,
since 1993, Hermann Stocker has been a
member of the Texas Historical Foundation
Board of Directors and graciously provided
office space and many support services
for the organization at no cost for five
years. The Foundation office is located in
the same building in central Austin thatFrom left: Hermann
Stocker with former
THF Board member Bill
Bailey, Board member
Glynn Ray, and current
Foundation president
Dr. R. Lee Rode.houses Stocker's Memory Technologies Inc.
While it may seem unusual that this
native of Switzerland has chosen to become
a spokesman of sorts for the state of Texas,
Stocker insists that it makes sense. "I have
been a United States citizen since 1959,
served in the U.S. Army, and was even a
member of this country's Pentathalon team.
Texas is my home now, and I wanted to give
something back to this place that has provided
such a bounty to me."
Indeed, Stocker's accomplishments
since he accepted his first restaurant position
in Chicago more than 40 years have
been great. Following his discharge from
the Army, Stocker resumed his hotel/resAdvertise Your Business or Product
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taurant career in
Houston, first with
the Shamrock
Hilton Hotel and
later with the Petroleum
Club and Rice
Hotel. His entrepreneurial
instincts
were strong, though,
and at the age of 26,
Stocker opened the
Swiss Chalet Restaurant
in Houston. The style and unique
appeal of this operation led to the
corporation's expansion to Austin in 1966
and later in San Antonio. Having been
licensed as a real estate broker in the Texas
since 1967, Stocker began to diversify his
interests, investing in real estate while continuing
the development of other Houston
restaurant endeavors. In 1983, Hermann
Stocker moved to Austin to pursue real
estate investment opportunities there.
Three years later, Stocker and other
family members decided to undertake their
own preservation efforts in Switzerland
when they purchased a hotel built in 1532
and restored it. Stocker oversaw the restoration
work on the centuries-old structure,
which is still owned by his family and
operating today near the city of Lucerne,
Switzerland. After completion of the
project, Stocker returned to Texas.
In 1988, he established Memory Technologies,
a computer export and peripheral
mail order business in Austin and Switzerland.
In addition to this high-tech venture,
Stocker is currently involved in several
other manufacturing, real estate, and business
enterprises.
Summarizing his thoughts, Stocker said,
"I may not speak with a Texas accent, but
I am proud to call myself a Texan. I am
pleased to be able to provide a service to an
organization that does so much to promote
all that is good about this state."24 HERITAGE -FALL 1996
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 14, Number 4, Fall 1996, periodical, Autumn 1996; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45407/m1/24/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.