Dee Dee Myers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dee Dee Myers
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Myers in 1996
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| 19th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – December 22, 1994 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Marlin Fitzwater |
| Succeeded by | Mike McCurry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margaret Jane Myers
September 1, 1961 North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Todd S. Purdum
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Santa Clara University (BA) |
Margaret Jane "Dee Dee" Myers (born September 1, 1961) is an American expert in politics and media. She was the 19th White House Press Secretary for the first two years of Bill Clinton's time as president. She was the first woman to hold this important job. At the time, she was also the second-youngest person ever to be the Press Secretary.
After her time at the White House, Myers co-hosted a news show called Equal Time on CNBC. She also worked as a consultant for the TV show The West Wing. A character on that show, C. J. Cregg, was partly inspired by Dee Dee Myers. She also wrote a popular book called Why Women Should Rule the World. In 2020, she started working for the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, helping with business and economic development.
Contents
About Dee Dee Myers
Early Life and Family
Margaret Jane Myers was born in 1961 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Her parents were Stephen and Judy Myers. Her nickname, "Dee Dee," came from her sister, who couldn't say "baby" very well.
Dee Dee Myers grew up mostly in Valencia, California. Her father was a pilot in the U.S. Navy. Her mother worked as a real estate agent, helping people buy and sell homes.
Myers went to William S. Hart High School and then to Santa Clara University, where she graduated in 1983.
Family Life
Dee Dee Myers met her husband, Todd Purdum, during the 1992 presidential campaign. Todd Purdum is a writer and editor for Vanity Fair. They got married in 1997 and have two children, Kate and Stephen. The family lives in Los Angeles, California.
Working in Politics
Starting Her Career
Dee Dee Myers began her career in political communication soon after college. She worked on Walter Mondale's presidential campaign in 1984. After that, she worked for a California State Senator and as an assistant press secretary for the Mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley.
She also worked as a spokesperson for other political campaigns. These included Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign in 1988 and Dianne Feinstein's campaign for governor of California in 1990. She even managed a campaign for Frank Jordan when he ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1991.
Working for President Clinton
In 1991, Dee Dee Myers joined Bill Clinton's team when he was running for president. After he won the election in 1992, she was chosen to be his first White House Press Secretary. This meant she was the main person who spoke to reporters for the President. She held this job from January 20, 1993, to December 22, 1994.
Dee Dee Myers was the first woman to be the White House Press Secretary. She was also very young for the job, starting at age 31. She was known for her good humor and patience when dealing with the many reporters. She often gave quick, clever answers during daily press briefings.
For a while, she had a lower job title and salary than previous Press Secretaries. She also didn't always have easy access to President Clinton's closest advisors. She wrote about these experiences in her 2008 book, Why Women Should Rule The World.
After the White House
After leaving the Clinton administration, Dee Dee Myers became a political expert and commentator. She appeared on TV and spoke at events about politics and the news.
Television and Pop Culture
In May 1995, Myers became a co-host of a political talk show called Equal Time on CNBC. She later appeared on other TV shows like The Today Show and Nightline. She even appeared as herself in the 1997 movie Contact.
The writer Aaron Sorkin asked Dee Dee Myers to be a consultant for his TV show The West Wing, which started in 1999. This show was about the White House. The character of C. J. Cregg, who was the White House Press Secretary on the show, was partly inspired by Dee Dee Myers.
Writing and Speaking
Since July 1995, Myers has written for Vanity Fair magazine. She is the author of the 2008 New York Times best-selling book Why Women Should Rule The World. This book is about women taking on leadership roles and shares her own experiences in the White House.
Her writings have also been published in many other newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is often invited to speak at events, especially about women's issues, the media, and politics.
Working in Business and Government
In September 2010, Myers joined a public affairs company called The Glover Park Group. She helped clients with their communication strategies and how they manage their public image.
In September 2014, Dee Dee Myers became the head of corporate communications at Warner Bros., a big entertainment company. She left this job in February 2020.
In December 2020, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, appointed Myers to a senior role. She became a Senior Advisor and Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
