Willis George Eichberger was born in Nebraska in 1912 and died in Texas in 1996.  He attended the University of Nebraska and Iowa State University earning degrees in Agricultural Economics and a PhD in Economics.  He had a long career with the federal government working with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, ultimately becoming Deputy Chief Economist for HEW.  While there he established the National Economics Division for Water Safety and Pollution.  In the 1960’s he joined the State Department and travelled to East Africa, where he lived for ten years in Ghana West Africa and Ethiopia.  After he retired in 1972, he lived briefly in Valdosta, Georgia, before finally moving to Texas, his last residence.  His wife was Gretchen Eichberger, who predeceased him in 1993; the Eichbergers had two children: a daughter, Erma Cunningham, and a son, Robert Eichberger.  The Eichberger children have added to the additional collection.  The collection includes wooden masks, carved figures, and wooden tools and implements. It also includes jewelry, leather goods, and textiles.  One of the highlights is the Ge'ez chant book, written on parchment with wooden covers in a leather case.  There is a small collection of metal coptic crosses as well as framed drawings and paintings. Hundreds of images are also part of this collection, as well as two boxes of printed materials from Ethopia.