Ben John Chen

This 1998 portrait of Ben John Chen (陈本昌) by western artist Zhuo Shu Liang hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

“Ben John Chen immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in the 1950s to attend Columbia University in New York City. When he became involved in international business. In 1965, Chen founded the Chinese Import and Export Council of America and in 1981, he, along with Anna Chennault founded the Asian American Republican National Federation. He served as the federation's chairman for three decades. During his tenure, Chen mobilized hundreds of thousands of Asian American voters to support the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

For decades, Chen fostered Chinese Americans' participation in politics by supporting their political advancement, including that of Elaine Chao whom George W. Bush nominated as Secretary of Labor, a position she held from 2001 to 2009. Chen's influential publications on the United States economy and politics encouraged cross-cultural conversations between the United States and China.” – National Portrait Gallery

Mr. Ben John Chen

1913-2013

Artist Z. S. Liang