Eric O. Hanson is a former professor in Political Science at Santa Clara University. He was born March 5, 1942 and died July 7, 2017. He taught in the Political Science Department at Santa Clara University for 41 years, specializing in comparative politics, Chinese politics, and religion and politics. He was the recipient of the University's Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence in 1992 and the College of Arts and Sciences award for excellence in teaching in 2003. Among his works at the University, he chaired the committee that revised the Core Curriculum in 1992, headed the Core from 1992-1997, and served as chair of the Political Science Department. Besides the faculty he mentored and the hundreds of students he advised, he was also the Alumni Liaison for the department and published the alumni newsletter, "Political Asylum." His books include Catholic Politics in China and Korea (1980), The Catholic Church in World Politics (1987), and Religion and Politics in the International System Today (2006).

Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California’s oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name. Bibliography: Santa Clara University. “About SCU – History.” www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm (Accessed Nov. 23, 2010) McKevitt, Gerald, S.J. The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1979.