Krebs, John Hans, 1926-2014

John Hans Krebs (December 17, 1926 – November 10, 2014) was an Israeli-American politician and attorney. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. Representative for California's 17th congressional district from 1975 to 1979.

Born in Berlin, then in the Weimar Republic, Krebs moved to British-mandated Palestine in 1933 and attended Balfour School and Ben Yehuda College there. After volunterring for Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary group that supported the creation of an Israeli state, he immigrated to the United States, earning an A.B. degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an LL.B. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. From 1952 to 1954, Krebs served in the United States Army. He was admitted to the California bar in 1957 and commenced practice in Fresno, California in 1958. Krebs served as a member of the Fresno County Planning Commission from 1965 to 1969 and on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors from 1970 to 1974. Krebs was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-fourth Congress, defeating four-term Republican Bob Mathias by a 52% to 48% margin. He served in the Ninety-fourth and Ninety-fifth Congresses (January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1978 to the Ninety-sixth Congress.

Krebs died in Fresno and was buried in Beth Israel Cemetery there.