Woody Myers facts for kids
Woodrow Augustus Myers Jr. (born February 14, 1954) is an American doctor and politician from Indiana. He worked as the top health official for both Indiana and New York City. In 2020, he ran for governor of Indiana as a Democrat, but he did not win the election against the current governor, Eric Holcomb.
Quick facts for kids
Woody Myers
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Myers in 2020
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| Health Commissioner of New York City | |
| In office March 30, 1990 – June 11, 1991 |
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| Mayor | David Dinkins |
| Preceded by | Stephen C. Joseph |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Hamburg |
| Health Commissioner of Indiana | |
| In office February 1985 – February 14, 1990 |
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| Governor | Robert D. Orr Evan Bayh |
| Preceded by | Themen Danielson (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Morris Green (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Woodrow Augustus Myers Jr.
February 14, 1954 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Stanford University (BS, MBA) Harvard University (MD) |
Contents
Early Life and School
Woody Myers grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. His dad was a landscaper, and his mom was a school principal. He was a very smart student! He finished Shortridge High School when he was only 16 years old.
He then went to Stanford University and graduated at 19. He also earned a special business degree (an MBA) from Stanford. Later, he went to Harvard Medical School and became a doctor when he was 23.
Helping People's Health
After medical school, Dr. Myers worked as a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He also helped make sure patients got good care at San Francisco General Hospital.
Health Commissioner
In 1985, the Governor of Indiana, Robert D. Orr, chose Dr. Myers to be Indiana's state health commissioner. This meant he was in charge of public health for the whole state.
When he started this job, he weighed about 418 pounds. He decided to go on a special liquid diet. After one year, he had lost a lot of weight, weighing about 216 pounds!
As health commissioner, Dr. Myers supported a teenager named Ryan White. Ryan had a serious illness called AIDS and was not allowed to go to school. Dr. Myers helped Ryan in his fight to attend school. Dr. Myers also supported rules to track information about people with HIV/AIDS. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan asked Dr. Myers to join a special group that studied the HIV epidemic. He left that group later that year.
In 1990, Mayor David Dinkins asked Dr. Myers to become New York City's health commissioner. He left this job in 1991. After that, Dr. Myers returned to Indianapolis. He worked for several big health companies like Wellpoint, Corizon Health, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Running for Office
Dr. Myers has also been involved in politics. In 2008, he ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives for Indiana. He came in second place in the primary election.
In July 2019, Dr. Myers announced he wanted to run for governor of Indiana in the 2020 election. A governor is the leader of a state government. After other candidates dropped out, he became the only Democrat running. He officially became the party's candidate on June 2, 2020. His running mate, who would be the lieutenant governor, was Linda Lawson.
Dr. Myers promised to improve public education, work on climate change issues, and make new rules about guns. He received about 32% of the votes in the election.
Family Life
Dr. Myers is married to his wife, Stacy. They have five children. One of his sons, Zachary A. Myers, is a lawyer. He works as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
