Meyer may refer to:

People[link]

• Meyer (surname)
• John Meyer (disambiguation)

Companies[link]

• Meyer Corporation
• Fred Meyer, Inc., American hypermarket chain; currently a subsidiary of Kroger
• Meyer Sound Laboratories

Places[link]

• Meyer Township, Michigan
• Meyer, Illinois, unincorporated community in Adams County, Illinois, USA
• Meyer, Iowa, in Mitchell County
• Myers, Montana (also spelled Meyer), unincorporated community in Treasure County, USA

Other[link]

• USS Meyer (DD-279), Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy
• Meyer locomotive
• Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, major German encyclopedia that existed from 1839 until 1984

See also[link]

• Von Meyer (disambiguation), Myer (disambiguation), Meyr, Meier, Meijer (disambiguation), Meir (disambiguation), Mayer (disambiguation), Maier, Mayr, Mair
• Meyers, Myers

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Joyce Meyer
Meyer teaching at the Hillsong Conference in Kiev on October 4, 2007
Born	Pauline Joyce Hutchison (1943-06-04) June 4, 1943 (age 69) St. Louis, Missouri U.S.
Occupation	Bible teacher, author, speaker
Nationality	American Citizen
Spouse(s)	Dave Meyer
Influences Tommy Barnett John C. Maxwell
www.joycemeyer.org

Joyce Meyer (born Pauline Joyce Hutchison; June 4, 1943) is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.

Early life[link]

Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in 1943. Her father went into the army to fight in World War II soon after she was born. She has said in interviews that he began sexually abusing her upon his return, and discusses this experience in her meetings.^[1]

A graduate of O'Fallon Technical High School in St. Louis, she married a part-time car salesman shortly after her senior year of high school. The marriage lasted for five years. She maintains that her husband frequently cheated on her and persuaded her to steal payroll checks from her employer. They used the money to go on a vacation to California. She states that she returned the money years later.^[1] After her divorce, Meyer frequented local bars before meeting Dave Meyer, an engineering draftsman. They were married on January 7, 1967.

Meyer also reports that she was praying intensely while driving to work one morning in 1976 when she said she heard God call her name. She had been born-again at age nine, but her unhappiness drove her deeper into her faith. She says that she came home later that day from a beauty appointment "full of liquid love" and was "drunk with the Spirit of God" that night while at the local bowling alley.^[1]

I didn't have any knowledge. I didn't go to church. And I had a lot of problems, and I needed somebody to kind of help me along. And I think sometimes even people who want to serve God, if they have got so many problems that they don't think right and they don't act right and they don't behave right, they almost need somebody to take them by the hand and help lead them through the early years.^[2]

Meyer was briefly a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in St. Louis, a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.^[1][3] She began leading an early-morning Bible class at a local cafeteria and became active in Life Christian Center, a charismatic church in Fenton. Within a few years, Meyer was the church's associate pastor. The church became one of the leading charismatic churches in the area, largely because of her popularity as a Bible teacher.^[1] She also began airing a daily 15-minute radio broadcast on a St. Louis radio station.

In 1985, Meyer resigned as associate pastor and founded her own ministry, initially called "Life in the Word". She began airing her radio show on six other stations from Chicago to Kansas City.

In 1993, her husband Dave suggested that they start a television ministry.^[1] Initially airing on superstation WGN-TV in Chicago and BET, her program, now called Enjoying Everyday Life, is still on the air today.

In 2004 St. Louis Christian television station KNLC, operated by the Rev. Larry Rice of New Life Evangelistic Center, dropped Meyer's programming. According to Rice, a longstanding Meyer supporter, Meyer's "excessive lifestyle" and her teachings often going "beyond Scripture" were the impetus for canceling the program.^[4]

In 2005, Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" ranked Meyer as 17th.^[5]

Ministry[link]

Meyer speaks humorously, sharing with her audience her own shortcomings and taking playful jabs at stereotypical church behavior. A particular crowd favorite is the "robot" routine, in which she goes into a stiff-armed imitation of a robot chanting "What about me? What about me?"^[6]

According to Joyce Meyer Ministries, Meyer earned her doctoral degree from Life Christian University, an unaccredited institution in Tampa, Florida.^[7] Meyer has been given an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity by Oral Roberts University, an accredited institution in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[7]

Salary and finances[link]

Joyce Meyer used to travel in this Canadair Challenger 600S; seen here in Sydney, Australia, when she was a 'special guest' at the Hillsong Conference in July 2005. It has since been replaced by a Gulfstream IV

Meyer, who owns several homes and travels in a private jet (currently a Gulfstream IV),^[8][9] has been criticized by some of her peers for living an excessive lifestyle. She responded that she doesn't have to defend her spending habits because "there’s no need for us to apologize for being blessed."^[8] Meyer commented, "You can be a businessman here in St. Louis, and people think the more you have, the more wonderful it is...but if you’re a preacher, then all of a sudden it becomes a problem."^[8]

On November 11, 2003, the St. Louis Post Dispatch published a four part series."^[8] exposing Meyer’s "$10 million corporate jet, her husband’s $107,000 silver-gray Mercedes sedan, her then $2 million home and houses worth another $2 million for her four children", her $20 million headquarters, furnished with "$5.7 million worth of furniture, artwork, glassware, and the latest equipment and machinery, including a malachite round table, a marble-topped antique commode, a custom office bookcase, a $7,000 Stations of the Cross in Dresden porcelain, an eagle sculpture on a pedestal, another eagle made of silver, and numerous paintings", among many other expensive items — all paid for by "her ministry". The article prompted Wall Watchers^[10] (a Christian nonprofit watchdog group) to call on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Meyer and her family.

Following the adverse publicity about her lifestyle and Ministry Watch's request for an IRS probe, Meyer announced in 2004 plans to take a salary reduction from the $900,000 per year she had been receiving from Joyce Meyer Ministries (in addition to the $450,000 her husband received) ^[11] and instead personally keep more of the royalties from her outside book sales which Meyer had previously donated back to Joyce Meyer Ministries. She now retains royalties on books sold outside the ministry through retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, and bookstores, while continuing to donate to her ministry royalties from books sold through her conferences, catalogues, website, and television program.^[12] "The net effect of all of this," notes Ministry Watch,^[10] "was most likely a sizable increase in the personal compensation of Joyce Meyer and reduced revenues for JMM." In an article in the St. Louis Business Journal, Meyer's public relations director, Mark Sutherland, confirmed that her new income would be "way above" her previous levels.^[13] Joyce Meyer Ministries says it has made a commitment to maintain transparency in financial dealings,^[14] publish their annual reports,^[15] have a Board majority who are not Meyer relatives^[16] and submit to a voluntary annual audit.^[14][17] Currently this ministry is receiving a "C" rating (81-90) in financial transparency from Ministry Watch.^[18]

Senate investigation[link]

On November 6, 2007, United States senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced an investigation of Meyer’s ministry by the United States Senate Committee on Finance.^[19] Grassley asked for the ministry to divulge financial information^[20][21] to the committee to determine if Meyer made any personal profit from financial donations, asking for a detailed accounting for such things as cosmetic surgery and foreign bank accounts and citing such expenses as the $23,000 commode mentioned earlier. He also requested that Meyer's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. In her November 29 response to Grassley, Meyer notes that the commode is a chest of drawers. Meyer writes that it was part of a large lot of items totaling $262,000 that were needed to furnish the ministry's 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m²) headquarters purchased in 2001. She said the commode's price tag was an "errant value" assigned by the selling agent and apologized for "not paying close attention to specific 'assigned values' placed on the pieces."^[20] The investigation also aimed to scrutinize five other televangelists: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie L. Long, Paula White, and Creflo Dollar.^[19]

Joyce Meyer Ministries responded with a newsletter to its e-mail list subscribers on November 9, 2007. The organization referred to its annual financial reports, asserting that, in 2006, the ministry spent 82 percent of its total expenses "for outreach and program services toward reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as attested by independent accounting firm Stanfield & O'Dell, LLP." The message also quoted an October 10, 2007, letter from the Internal Revenue Service which stated, "We determined that you [Joyce Meyer Ministries] continue to qualify as an organization exempt from federal income tax under IRC section 501(c)(3)." The same information was also posted to the ministry website.

Meyer and Hinn were the only two ministries to comply with the Senate's requests for financial records, and both of them made commitments to future financial transparency. Neither party were found to have done any wrongdoing.^[22]

ECFA accreditation[link]

In 2009, Joyce Meyer Ministries received accreditation from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). In an announcement on March 12, 2009, the ECFA said that Joyce Meyer Ministries and Oral Roberts University had met their requirements of "'responsible stewardship', which involves ministries' financial accountability, transparency, board governance and fund-raising practices."^[23]

Works[link]

• Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind. 1993. ISBN 0-446-69109-7. 
• Me and My Big Mouth: Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose. 2002. ISBN 0-446-69107-0. 
• How to Hear from God: Learn to Know His Voice and Make Right Decisions. 2003. ISBN ISBN 0-446-53256-8. 
• The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word. 2004. ISBN 0-446-57736-7. 
• In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment. 2004. ISBN 0-446-53195-2. 
• Straight Talk: Overcoming Emotional Battles with the Power of God's Word. 2005. ISBN 0-446-57800-2. 
• Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone. 2005. ISBN 0-446-57772-3. 
• Look Great Feel Great: Joyce shares twelve practical keys that will help you look and feel great. 2006. ISBN 0-446-57946-7. 
• The Everyday Life Bible: The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living. 2006. ISBN 0-446-57827-4. 
• The Confident Woman: Start Today Living Boldly and Without Fear. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53198-7. 
• Woman to Woman: Candid Conversations from Me to You. 2007. ISBN 0-446-58180-1. 
• I Dare You: Embrace Life With Passion. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53197-9. 
• The Power of Simple Prayer: How to Talk with God about Everything. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53196-0. 
• Top 10 Qualities of a Great Leader. 2007. ISBN 1-57794-913-7.  (by Joyce Meyer and Phil Pringle)
• Conflict Free Living. 2008. ISBN 1-59979-062-9. 
• Start Your New Life Today: An Exciting New Beginning with God. 2008. ISBN 0-446-50965-5. 
• The Secret To True Happiness: Enjoy Today, Embrace Tomorrow. 2008. ISBN 0-446-53199-5. 
• Never Give Up!: Relentless Determination to Overcome Life's Challenges. 2009. ISBN 0-446-58035-X. 
• Eat the Cookie--Buy the Shoes: Giving Yourself Permission to Lighten Up. 2010. ISBN 0-446-53864-7. 
• Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle. 2010. ISBN 0-446-58036-8. 
• Beauty for Ashes. 
• The Penny. 

See also[link]

• Prosperity Gospel
• Word of Faith

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

• Official site
• Joyce Meyer at the Internet Movie Database
• Everyday Life Broadcast with Joyce Meyer online

Russ Meyer
Meyer in 1996 (photo by Roger Ebert)
Born	Russell Albion Meyer (1922-03-21)March 21, 1922 San Leandro, California United States
Died	September 18, 2004(2004-09-18) (aged 82) Hollywood Hills, California, United States
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Nationality	American
Spouse	Betty Valdovinos (1949-1950) Eve Meyer (1952–1966) Edy Williams (1970–1973)

Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer.

Meyer is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful low-budget sexploitation films that featured campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women.

Early years[link]

Russ Meyer was born in San Leandro, California to William Arthur Meyer, a German-American Oakland police officer, and his wife Lydia Lucinda Hauck.^[1] His parents divorced shortly after he was born, and Meyer was to have virtually no contact with his father during his life. When he was fourteen years old, his mother pawned her wedding ring in order to buy him an 8mm film camera. He made a number of amateur films at the age of 15, and served during World War II as a U.S. Army combat cameraman for the 166th Signal Photo Company. In the Army Meyer forged his strongest friendships, and he would later ask many of his fellow combat cameramen to work on his films. Much of Meyer's work during World War II can be seen in newsreels and in the film Patton (1971).^[2] On his return to civilian life, he was unable to secure cinematography work in Hollywood due to a dearth of industry connections. He made industrial films, freelanced as a still photographer for mainstream films (he did the still photography for Giant), and became a well known glamour photographer whose work included some of the initial shoots for Hugh Hefner's Playboy magazine. Meyer would go on to shoot three Playboy centerfolds during the magazine's early years, one of his wife Eve Meyer in 1955. He also shot a pictorial of then-wife Edy Williams in March 1973.^[3]

Film career[link]

His first feature, the nudist comedy The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959), cost $24,000 to produce and eventually grossed more than $1,000,000 on the independent/exploitation circuit, ensconcing Meyer as "King of the Nudies." Over the next decade, he made nearly 20 movies with a trademark blend of odd humor, huge-breasted starlets and All-American sleaze, including such notable films as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and Vixen! (1968). Russ Meyer was a true auteur who wrote, directed, edited, photographed and distributed all his own films. He was able to finance each new film from the proceeds of the earlier ones, and became very wealthy in the process.^[4] Unlike many independent directors of his era, he chose to cast actresses like Shari Eubank or Cynthia Myers who were considered extremely beautiful and wholesome.^[5]

Meyer's output can be divided into several eras. Earlier works like The Immoral Mr. Teas, Eve and the Handyman, and the Western-themed Wild Gals of the Naked West were stylistically similar to the nudie cutie fare of the era, though separated from the pack by their superior color cinematography. 1964's Lorna saw the ever-economical director revert to black-and-white; with this change came a greater emphasis on storyline, almost theatrical violence, domineeringly psychosexual women, and their insipid male counterparts. The "Gothic" period (as it was termed by Meyer) reached its apex with the commercially underwhelming Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, which would eventually be reclaimed as a cult classic. It has a following all over the world and has inspired countless imitations, music videos and tributes.

After producing the popular mockumentary Mondo Topless (1966) with the remnants of his production company's assets and two mildly successful color melodramas, Meyer made headlines once again in 1968 with the controversial, Vixen!. Although its lesbian overtones are tame by today's standards, the film — designed by Meyer and long-time cohort Jim Ryan as a reaction to provocative European art films — grossed millions on a five-figure budget and captured the zeitgeist just as, The Immoral Mr. Teas, had a decade earlier. He followed it with Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970), which utilized long montages of the California landscape (replete with anti-marijuana voiceovers) and Uschi Digard dancing in the desert as the film's "lost soul." These plot devices were necessitated after lead actress Linda Ashton left the shoot early, leaving Meyer missing 20 minutes of footage.^[6]

Russ Meyer (left) and Roger Ebert in 1970 (photo from Roger Ebert)

After the unexpected success of, Easy Rider, and impressed by Meyer's frugality and profitability, 20th Century Fox signed him to produce and direct a long-proposed sequel to, Valley of the Dolls, in 1969, fulfilling his longstanding ambition to direct for a major Hollywood studio. What eventually appeared was Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), scripted by film critic (and Meyer devotee) Roger Ebert and bearing no relation to the novel or film's continuity (necessitated after Jacqueline Susann sued the studio). Many critics perceive the film as perhaps the greatest expression of his intentionally vapid surrealism — Meyer went so far as to refer to it as his definitive work in several interviews. Others, such as Variety, saw "B.V.D.," "as funny as a burning orphanage and a treat for the emotionally retarded."^[7] Contractually stipulated to produce an R-rated film, the brutally violent climax (depicting a decapitation) ensured an X-rating (Later reclassified to NC-17). Though disowned by the studio for years to come and amid gripes from the director after he attempted to recut the film to include more titillating scenes after the ratings debacle, it still earned over $6 million domestically in the United States on a budget of less than $1 million.

After making his most subdued film, a commercially unsuccessful adaptation of the popular Irving Wallace novel The Seven Minutes (1971) for Fox, Meyer returned to grindhouse-style independent cinema in 1973 with the Blaxploitation period piece Black Snake, which was dismissed by critics and audiences as incoherent. In 1975, he released Supervixens, a return to the world of big bosoms, square jaws, and the Mojave desert that earned $17 million (American) on a shoestring budget. Meyer's theatrical career ended with the release of the surreal Up! (1976) and 1979's Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, his most sexually graphic films. Film historians and fans have called these last three films "Bustoons" because Russ Meyer's use of color and mise en scène recalled larger than life pop art settings and cartoonish characters.^[8]

In 1977, Malcolm McLaren hired Meyer to direct a film starring The Sex Pistols. Meyer handed the scriptwriting duties over to Ebert, who, in collaboration with McLaren, produced a screenplay entitled Who Killed Bambi? According to Ebert, filming ended after a day and a half when the electricians walked off the set after McLaren proved unable to pay them. (McLaren has claimed that the project actually died at the behest of main financier 20th Century-Fox, under the pretext that "We are in the business of making family entertainment.") The project ultimately evolved into The Great Rock & Roll Swindle.

Despite the fact that hardcore pornographic films would overtake Meyer's softcore market share, he retired in the late 1970s a very wealthy man.^[8]

Use of satire[link]

Russ Meyer was also adept at mocking moral stereotypes and flagrantly lampooning conservative American values. Many of his films feature a narrator who attempts to give the audience a "moral roadmap" of what they are watching. Like contemporary Terry Southern, Meyer realized that sex — as one of the few common interests among most humans — was a natural vehicle for satirizing values and conventions held by the Greatest Generation. According to Roger Ebert in a commentary recorded for the DVD release of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Meyer continually reiterated that this irreverence was the true secret to his artistic success.

Meyer was also known for his quick wit. While participating with Ebert in a panel discussion at Yale University, he was confronted by an angry woman who accused him of being "nothing but a breast man." His immediate reply: "That's only the half of it."^[9]

Big breast fixation, or the Meyer physical archetype[link]

Russ Meyer's lifelong unabashed fixation on large breasts featured prominently in all his films and is his best known character trait both as an artist and as a person. His discoveries include Kitten Natividad, Erica Gavin, Lorna Maitland, Tura Satana, and Uschi Digard among many others. The majority of them were naturally large breasted and he occasionally cast women in their first trimesters of pregnancy as it enhanced their breast size even further.^[10]

Rarely were there cosmetically enhanced breasts in any of his films until Up! (1976) and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979). However, by the early 1980s, when surgical advancements had made the gargantuan breasts of Meyer's fantasies a reality, many felt he had started viewing the female body as simply a "tit transportation device"^[11] and that his aesthetic vision was no longer attractive or vibrant. Darlene Gray, a natural 36H-22-33 from Great Britain, who appeared in Mondo Topless (1966) is said to be Russ Meyer's most busty discovery.^[12]

The Russ Meyer female physical archetype is fairly complex to decipher. Firstly, it's not to be confused with today's surgically enhanced Hollywood porn starlets or even slim, naturally endowed actresses. Russ Meyer was almost as much about a shapely 1950s hip-to-waist ratio or "wasp waist" as he was about very large breasts. The six-pack abdominal muscles and built-up squarish appearance of modern Hollywood figures do not mesh with his pin-up aesthetic.^[9][10][11] Secondly, he required that even his most busty actresses looked good braless; "gravity-defying" and "cantilevered" became two of his favorite expressions.^[10]

In his films such as Vixen! and Cherry, Harry & Raquel! some of the actresses do not have large (by Russ Meyer standards) breasts yet their chests are always accentuated with very clever camera angles and well constructed bras. Reportedly, Gavin was cast as the lead in Vixen! because her "smaller" bust would make the character "more relatable to women."^[13]

He went on record numerous times to say that Anita Ekberg was the most beautiful woman he ever photographed and that her 39DD breasts were the biggest in A-list Hollywood history, dwarfing both Jayne Mansfield and Sabrina.^[14][15] Dolly Parton was the only modern Hollywood actress Meyer ever expressed interest in working with.^[16]

While he often referred to his actresses as "Junoesque" and "Amazonian"^[11] this was probably more in their spirit than their actual physiques"^[17] as Meyer rarely cast very tall or symmetrically built actresses with strong legs and large posteriors. So while the general public could easily perceive Jane Russell or Sophia Loren as "Russ Meyer material", their balanced bodies did not mesh with Meyer's precise aesthetic preferences."^[18] And indeed Meyer said many times that it was Gina Lollobrigida's smaller breasted figure that he preferred visually over her larger breasted, taller and bigger hipped rival, Sophia Loren.^[9] Thus Meyer's complete oeuvre shows the viewer that while his actresses could easily be described as voluptuous, buxom and curvaceous, it's debatable to some if they were strapping, stately or even statuesque as Meyer readily proclaimed."^[9][19]

The tallest actress Meyer ever cast in a lead was the 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in), slim hipped, huge breasted Lorna Maitland^[20] (working with whom he admitted he found intimidating).^[21][22] Nearly all the other women he featured were no taller than 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in).^[23] Tura Satana's performance as Varla in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! was Meyer's only true portrayal of the large, strong and aggressive Amazonian archetype in the classic visual sense.^[23][24]

Female empowerment[link]

Film historian Jimmy McDonough posits that Russ Meyer's usage of physically and sexually overwhelming female characters places him in his own separate genre.^[11] He argues that despite portraying women as sex objects, Meyer nonetheless depicts them as more powerful than men and is therefore an inadvertent feminist filmmaker.

In many of Meyer's films women eventually defeat men, winning sexual fulfillment as their reward, e.g., Super Vixen (Supervixens), Margo Winchester (Up!) and Lavonia Shed (Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens).^[9] And even in the 1950s and '60s his films were sometimes centered on a woman's need and struggle for sexual satisfaction (Lorna, Good Morning and... Goodbye! and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens).^[9] Additionally, Russ Meyer's female characters were often allowed to express anger and violence towards men (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Supervixens).^[11]

Yet in his research, McDonough also notes that Meyer's female characters were limited in how powerful they could appear;^[25] often the female lead is raped (Up! and Lorna) or brutally murdered (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Supervixens, Lorna and Blacksnake). While Russ Meyer may have championed powerful woman characters, he also forced them into violent and terrifying situations, making them prove their physical and mental strength against tremendous odds.^[25] He also ensured that women's breasts were at least semi-exposed during these ordeals for comic or erotic effect.^[26] Furthermore, according to frequent collaborator and longtime lover Kitten Natividad, Meyer's love of dominant women extended to his personal life, and he was almost always in a tumultuous relationship.^[27][28]

Personal and family life[link]

It was in World War II that, according to Meyer, he found himself at a French brothel with Ernest Hemingway who, upon finding out that Meyer was a virgin, offered him the prostitute of his choice. Meyer picked the one with the largest breasts.^[10]

Despite his reputation as a Rabelaisian man, Russ Meyer never employed the casting couch and rarely slept with any of his actresses.^[10] He had no children though there were rumored unsuccessful pregnancies with his second wife Edy Williams and last serious girlfriend, Melissa Mounds, who was also found guilty of assaulting him in 1999. There is a long standing rumor among his closest friends and at least one biographer that he had a son in 1964 with a secret lover who he would refer to only as "Miss Mattress" or "Janet Buxton".^[29]

Meyer was very upfront throughout his life about being too selfish to be a father or even a caring partner, or husband. Yet he is also said to have been very generous with all his friends and acquaintances, and never isolated friends from one another. Biographers have attributed most of his brutish and eccentric nature to the fact that he was abandoned by his father, an Oakland police officer and overly coddled by his mother, Lydia, who was married six times. Meyer had a half sister, Lucinda, who was diagnosed in her twenties with paranoid schizophrenia and was committed to California State mental institutions until her death in 1999. Mental illness ran in his family and it was something he secretly feared. During his entire life Russ Meyer spoke with only the highest reverence for his mother and sister.^[10]

Meyer was married to:

• Betty Valdovinos (born 1922, divorced)
• Edy Williams (born July 9, 1942, divorced)
• Eve Meyer (December 13, 1928 - March 27, 1977, died)

Contrary to some accounts, Meyer was never married to Kitten Natividad, the star of his final two films.

Final years[link]

Meyer owned the rights to nearly all of his films and spent the majority of the 1980s and 1990s making millions reselling his films on the home video and DVD market. He worked out of the very same Los Angeles, California home he lived in and usually answered the phone to take orders himself. A major retrospective of his work was given at The British Film Institute (1983), the Chicago Film Festival honored him in 1985, and many revival movie houses booked his films for midnight movie marathons.

He also worked obsessively for over a decade on a massive three volume autobiography entitled A Clean Breast. Finally printed in 2000, it features numerous excerpts of reviews, clever details of each of his films and countless photos and erotic musings.

Starting in the mid-1990s Meyer had frequent fits and bouts of memory loss. By 2000 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and his health and well-being were thereafter looked after by Janice Cowart, his secretary and estate executor. That same year, with no wife or children to claim his wealth, Meyer willed that the majority of his money and estate would be sent to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in honor of his late mother.

Russ Meyer died at his home in the Hollywood Hills, of complications of pneumonia, on September 18, 2004.^[30] He was 82 years old. Meyer's grave is located at Stockton Rural Cemetery in San Joaquin County,^[31] Stockton. His headstone reads:

Fox Searchlight Pictures is currently negotiating the rights to create a biopic covering the early years of Meyer's career.^[32]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Frasier, David K. (1998). Russ Meyer: The Life and Films :A Biography and A Comprehensive, Illustrated, and Annotated Filmography and Bibliography. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0472-8. 
• Greene, Doyle (2004). Lips Hips Tits Power: The Films Of Russ Meyer. Persistence of Vision, Volume 4. New York, NY: Creation Books. ISBN 1-84068-095-4. 
• McDonough, Jimmy (2005). Big Bosoms and Square Jaws: The Biography of Russ Meyer, King of the Sex Film. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0-224-07250-1. http://www.ebooks.com/ebooks/book_display.asp?IID=226570. 
• Meyer, Russ (2000). A Clean Breast: The Life and Loves of Russ Meyer (3 volume set). (Under the pseudonym "Adolph Albion Schwartz"). El Rio, TX: Hauck Pub Co. ISBN 0-9621797-2-8. 
• Woods, Paul A. (2004). The Very Breast of Russ Meyer. London: Plexus Publishing. ISBN 0-85965-309-9. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Russ Meyer

• Russ Meyer at the Internet Movie Database
• Russ Meyer at Find a Grave
• Nathaniel Rich on Russ Meyer in the San Francisco Chronicle

v t e Films directed by Russ Meyer 1950s The French Peep Show (1950, short) The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959) 1960s The Naked Camera (1961, short) Erotica (1961, short) Eve & The Handyman (1961) Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962) Europe In The Raw (1963, short) Heavenly Bodies! (1963, short) Skyscapers & Brassieres (1963, short) Fanny Hill (1964) Lorna (1964) Mudhoney (1965) Motorpsycho (1965) Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) Mondo Topless (1966, mockumentary) Common Law Cabin (1967) Good Morning and... Goodbye! (1967) Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968) Vixen! (1968) Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1969) 1970s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) The Seven Minutes (1971) Blacksnake (1972) Supervixens (1975) Up! (1976) Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979) 2000s Pandora Peaks (2001, mockumentary) other Who Killed Bambi? (1978, unfinished)

Dakota L. Meyer
Sergeant Dakota L. Meyer
Born	(1988-06-26) June 26, 1988 (age 24) Columbia, Kentucky, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	2006–2010
Rank	Sergeant[1]
Unit	Embedded Training Team 2-8 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
Battles/wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan  • Battle of Ganjgal
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart Navy Commendation Medal w/ Combat V Navy Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon

Dakota L. Meyer (born June 26, 1988) is a United States Marine Corps veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He is the third living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, and the first living United States Marine in 38 years to be so honored.

Biography[link]

Meyer was born in Greensburg, Kentucky in 1988, where he grew up and attended school.^[2] In 2006, after graduation from Green County High School, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at a recruiting station in Louisville, Kentucky and was sent to Recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.^[2]

Military service[link]

After completing training to be a United States Marine he deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2007 as a Scout Sniper with 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines. He gained national attention for his actions in Afghanistan during his second deployment in Kunar province with Embedded Training Team 2-8.^[3][4]

On September 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal, Meyer learned that three U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman were missing after being ambushed by a group of insurgents. He charged into an area known to be inhabited by insurgents and under enemy fire. Meyer eventually found all four dead and stripped of their weapons, body armor, and radios.^[5] With the help of some friendly Afghan soldiers, he moved the bodies to a safer area where they could be extracted.^[6] During his search, Meyer "personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe."

President Obama and the audience applaud after Dakota Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the White House on September 15, 2011

On November 6, 2010, the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos told reporters during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California, that a living Marine had been nominated for the Medal of Honor. Two days later, Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper covering U.S. Marine operations, reported that the unnamed individual was Meyer, citing anonymous sources. CNN confirmed the story independently two days later.^[7][8]

On June 9, 2011, the Marine Corps announced that two other Marines on Meyer's team in Ganjgal would receive the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for valor a Marine can receive. Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo and Staff Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez were recognized for their roles in retrieving the Marines and corpsman. Before Meyer went looking for the missing men on foot, Rodriguez-Chavez drove a gun truck into the kill zone, with Fabayo manning its machine gun.^[9]

When President Barack Obama's staff called Meyer to set up a time for the President to inform him that his case for the Medal of Honor had been approved, Meyer was working at his construction job and asked if they could please call him back when he was on his lunch break, which they later did. Dakota then returned to work.^[10]

Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on September 15, 2011.^[1][11] When a White House staffer contacted Meyer to arrange the ceremony, Meyer asked if he could have a beer with the President.^[12] He received an invitation to the White House the afternoon before the ceremony. Meyer also requested that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative services should be held at other associated locations to honor the memory of his colleagues who died or were mortally wounded during the ambush and his rescue attempts.^[13]

Four Americans died in the ambush: 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, a 25-year-old from Virginia Beach; Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga.; Hospital Corpsman Third Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif.; and Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., a 31-year-old Gunnery Sergeant from Columbus, Ga. A fifth man, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M., later died from his wounds.^[14]

Civilian[link]

In September 2011, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear bestowed upon Meyer the title of Kentucky Colonel during an event in his home town of Greensburg where he served as the event's grand marshal.^[15][16]

Dakota Meyer has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, defense contractor BAE Systems, alleging the company and his supervisor there punished him for his opposition to a weapons sale to Pakistan.^[17] Meyer is suing defense contractor BAE Systems OASYS Inc. that he says ridiculed his Medal of Honor, called him mentally unstable and suggested he had a drinking problem, thereby costing him a job.^[18]

On December 14, 2011 McClatchy news outlets published an article which questioned the actual number of lives Meyer saved, while acknowledging his heroism. The article stated that "crucial parts that the Marine Corps publicized were untrue, unsubstantiated or exaggerated". However, all that was "unnecessary" because Meyer "by all accounts deserved his nomination."^{[19][20][21][22]}

On December 15, 2011 BAE announced that Meyer and BAE Systems OASYS resolved their dispute out of court.^[23]

Honors and awards[link]

Military awards[link]

Medal of Honor	Purple Heart Medal	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ V device
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal	Combat Action Ribbon	Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal	Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 2 campaign stars	Iraq Campaign Medal w/ campaign star
Global War On Terrorism Service Medal	Sea Service Deployment Ribbon	NATO Service Medal (ISAF)
Expert marksmanship badge for rifle (3rd award)	Expert marksmanship badge for pistol (2nd award)	1 service stripe

Medal of Honor citation[link]

"The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

For service as set forth in the following

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the repeated risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a member of Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. When the forward element of his combat team began to be hit by intense fire from roughly 50 Taliban insurgents dug-in and concealed on the slopes above Ganjgal village, Corporal Meyer mounted a gun-truck, enlisted a fellow Marine to drive, and raced to attack the ambushers and aid the trapped Marines and Afghan soldiers. During a six hour fire fight, Corporal Meyer single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, saved 36 Marines and soldiers and recovered the bodies of his fallen brothers. Four separate times he fought the kilometer up into the heart of a deadly U-shaped ambush. During the fight he killed at least eight Taliban, personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe. On his first foray his lone vehicle drew machine gun, mortar, rocket grenade and small arms fire while he rescued five wounded soldiers. His second attack disrupted the enemy’s ambush and he evacuated four more wounded Marines. Switching to another gun-truck because his was too damaged they again sped in for a third time, and as turret gunner killed several Taliban attackers at point blank range and suppressed enemy fire so 24 Marines and soldiers could break-out. Despite being wounded, he made a fourth attack with three others to search for missing team members. Nearly surrounded and under heavy fire he dismounted the vehicle and searched house to house to recover the bodies of his fallen team members. By his extraordinary heroism, presence of mind amidst chaos and death, and unselfish devotion to his comrades in the face of great danger, Corporal Meyer reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.^[24]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	United States Marine Corps portal

• Leroy Petry
• Salvatore Giunta
• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of living Medal of Honor recipients

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dakota Meyer

• "Dakota Meyer". Hall of Valor. Military Times. http://www.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3957. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
• Lamothe, Dan (February 11, 2011). "Reprimands issued for troubled mission". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/02/marine-ganjgal-reprimand-army-021411w/. Retrieved February 20, 2011. 
• Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer Confirmed for Medal of Honor
• Sergeant Dakota Meyer Shadow Box from togetherweserved.com

Urban Frank Meyer, III (born July 10, 1964) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at The Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011. Meyer has previously served as the head football coach at Bowling Green State University from 2001 to 2002, at the University of Utah from 2003 to 2004, and at the University of Florida from 2005 until his retirement at the end of the 2010 season.^[1] He coached the Florida Gators to two BCS National Championship Game victories, during the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Meyer's winning percentage through the conclusion of the 2009 season (.842) was the highest among all active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program.^[2] He is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati, where he played college football. During 2011, he worked as a college football analyst for the television sports network ESPN.

Coaching career[link]

In 2004, Meyer was recognized as the college football "coach of the year" at the University of Utah by both sportswriters (Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year) and television commentators (Home Depot Coach of the Year Award).^[3] He has twenty years of college coaching experience, including nine as a head coach.^[3] His overall record as a head coach through the end of the 2009 season is 96–18, and he is 49–14 in conference play.^[4] His winning percentage (.842) through the end of 2009 season ranks first nationally among active college football head coaches.^[5]

Meyer is a devout Roman Catholic^[6][7] and on several occasions has referred to the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame as his "dream job," leading to speculation that he would someday wish to coach there. However, according to a July 2009 newspaper report, Meyer insisted he would never leave Florida for Notre Dame.^[8] And when the employment status of Irish coach Charlie Weis came into question in November 2009, Meyer held a press conference to dispel rumors linking him to the possible opening, stating that he would remain at Florida for "as long as they'll have me."^[9] The University of Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was eventually hired for the job.

On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign following the team's bowl game against Cincinnati, citing health concerns.^[10] However, the following day Meyer announced that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence,^[11] and he resumed his coaching duties in time for the beginning of the Gators' spring practice on March 17, 2010.^[12]

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley announced Meyer's resignation as the Gators head football coach on December 8, 2010, but stated that Meyer would remain as the head coach through the Gators' appearance in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.^[1]

On November 28, 2011 Meyer accepted the head coach position at the Ohio State University.

Early coaching career[link]

After playing as a defensive back for the University of Cincinnati, Meyer spent one season interning as a defensive back coach at Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1985 under the mentorship of legendary St. Xavier head coach Steve Rasso, where he met members of the Ohio State coaching staff.^[13] His first collegiate coaching position was a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under head coach Earle Bruce.^[3] He then spent the next thirteen years as an assistant—two at Illinois State, six at Colorado State, and five at Notre Dame.^[3] In 1990, while still the linebacker coach at Illinois State, he called Toledo head coach Nick Saban to see if a position was available on his staff. Saban, however, never returned the call.^[14] In 2001, Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.^[4] In his first season there, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in the NCAA football history, going 8–3 and capping off the season with a 56–21 victory over Bowling Green's rival, the University of Toledo Rockets.^[15] He also earned Mid-American Conference coach of the year honors. The next year, Bowling Green finished with a 9–3 record.^[15] After a 17–6 overall record, Meyer left for the University of Utah.^[16]

Utah[link]

After two seasons at Bowling Green, he took the job at Utah in 2003.^[17] In his first year there, Meyer was named the Mountain West Conference's Coach of the Year with a 10–2 record, the best ever for a coach's first season at Utah.^[17] He also earned honors as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, the first Utes coach to do so.^[18] Meyer's success can be attributed to his unique offensive system, which is an offshoot of Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, relying on short pass routes.^[19] Meyer's base offense spreads three receivers and puts the quarterback in shotgun formation.^[20] Then, he introduces motion in the backfield and turns it into an option attack, adding elements of the traditional run-oriented option offense.^[20]

In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series bid, something that had not been done by a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference since the formation of the BCS in 1998.^[21] He remained at Utah long enough to coach the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh,^[4] capping off the Utes' first perfect season (12–0) since 1930.^[22]

Florida[link]

In the wake of his accomplishments at Utah, both the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame vied for his services.^[23] Meyer chose to become Florida's head coach for the 2005 season, signing a seven-year contract worth $14 million.^[23] He later signed a six-year contract extension with the Gators on June 7, 2007; the extended contract paid an average of $3.25 million per year.^[24] On August 3, 2009, Meyer received another contract extension that made him the SEC's highest paid coach during the 2009 season; his 2009 extension is worth $24 million over six years.^[25] At the time of the latest contract extension, Meyer was the third highest paid college football coach, behind only Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis.^[26]

Meyer has been criticized by some commentators because 30 of his players were arrested during his nearly six years as the Gators' coach.^[27] The seriousness of the charges varied widely, from minor offenses such as possession of alcohol by a minor to the charge of possession of a concealed weapon, and many of the charges were ultimately dismissed.^[27] Meyer's punishments also varied with the severity of the charges, with some players never missing game time and others being kicked off the team.^[27][28]

In September 2010, after Gator receiver Chris Rainey was arrested for sending a threatening text message to a former girlfriend, Meyer stated that he was "real upset about that. After a while, enough's enough. If there's something that we can improve on, we're certainly looking into that. It's like if our graduation rate stinks then we gotta improve that. If there's other issues in a program, that's our job to get it better. It's people making stupid mistakes, that's something we gotta correct."^[29]

2005 season[link]

In 2005, his first season at Florida, Meyer's Gators team finished the season 9–3 (5–3 in the Southeastern Conference). The season included an undefeated record at home and a bowl victory against Iowa in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The Gators would have faced LSU in the SEC Championship Game,^[30] but they lost to South Carolina and former Florida coach Steve Spurrier in the SEC regular season finale.

2006 season[link]

In 2006, Meyer coached the Gators to a 13–1 (8–1 in the SEC) record, with the one loss coming to the Auburn Tigers. After clinching the SEC East, the Gators won the SEC Championship Game on December 2 over Arkansas by a score of 38–28. The Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14, in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game to win the national championship.^[31] It was the first BCS bowl berth for the Gators since the Orange Bowl that capped off the 2001 campaign,^[32] and Florida's first national championship appearance and victory since winning the 1997 Sugar Bowl.^[31]

Meyer has been known for winning big games. In addition to his 5–1 record in bowl games (as of 2008) at Florida, Meyer has an 11–1 record (through the end of 2008) against three of the Gators' biggest opponents—Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State—and a 14–2 home record.

2007 season[link]

The Gators managed a 9–3 regular season record in 2007, including blowout wins over rivals Tennessee and FSU but once again losing to Auburn. During his tenure at the University of Florida, Coach Meyer never defeated Auburn. ^[33] Quarterback Tim Tebow also became Coach Meyer's first Heisman Trophy winner. The team led the conference in scoring,^[34] but struggles on defense made it difficult for the Gators to reach a BCS bowl game.^[35] The Gators lost the Capital One Bowl to Michigan 41–35 on January 1, 2008.^[33] Meyer served as a pre-game and halftime analyst for the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.

2008 season[link]

In 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 overall record and the BCS National Championship over Oklahoma, including wins over six ranked teams. The team's lone defeat came at the hands of Mississippi on September 27, 2008, a game in which Florida led in time of possession and passing yards, but turned the ball over three times. Eleven of the Gators' twelve wins in the 2008 regular season were by 20 points or more. On December 6, 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 31–20 victory over then No. 1 ranked Alabama in the SEC title game. Leading in time of possession, rushing yards, and passing yards, the Gators would come from behind after a third quarter deficit to score two touchdowns and hold Alabama scoreless in the fourth quarter. The victory would vault Florida to No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll, No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, and No. 2 in the BCS rankings, setting up a showdown against Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game on January 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Gators won 24–14, securing their second national championship under Meyer.

2009 season[link]

In 2009, Meyer's Gators began the season ranked No. 1 by the largest margin in the history of the AP preseason poll. Though the team struggled on offense at times and quarterback Tim Tebow suffered a scary concussion in a September victory over Kentucky, Florida finished the regular season 12–0 and still ranked No. 1. The winning streak ended in the SEC Championship Game, when they lost 32–13 to Alabama.

Florida was selected to play the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The Gators won 51–24 to finish the season with a 13-1 record for the second consecutive year.

Leave of absence[link]

In the early morning of December 6, 2009, soon after returning home following his team's loss in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, Meyer was quietly admitted into a Gainesville hospital suffering from chest pains and dehydration. He was released later in the day, and the incident was not announced to the public at the time.^[36]

On December 26, after discussions with his family, Meyer revealed his medical scare and announced that he would resign as Florida's head coach due to health and family concerns following his team's New Years Day Sugar Bowl appearance .^[10] Meyer stated: "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family." He also said: "I'm proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida."^[36] Meyer admitted that he had suffered frequent chest pains (later discovered to be caused by esophageal spasms) and occasional severe headaches due to an arachnoid cyst for years, and that they were related to stress.^[37]

On December 27, Meyer announced that he would take an indefinite leave of absence instead of resigning. He was unsure if he would return for the 2010 season but stated that, "I do in my gut believe that will happen."^[38] Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio would serve as the interim coach in Meyer's absence.

On January 1, 2010, Meyer coached the Gators in their 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. In a post-game interview, Meyer again suggested that he would return to coach the Gators at some point by saying: "I plan on being the coach of the Gators."^[39]

Meyer took significant time off from his coaching duties after the bowl game in an attempt to improve his personal health.^[40] While he did stay in touch with potential new players during the busy recruiting season, Meyer did much less traveling to visit recruits than usual.^[41][42] Nevertheless, the Gators still signed the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in February.^{[43][44][45][46]}

On March 17, 2010, Meyer returned full-time to his position for the start of the Gators' spring practice and continued in that role into the 2010 season.^[47]

2010 season[link]

With his victory over Kentucky on September 25, 2010, Urban Meyer achieved his 100th career win as a coach. With that win, his record was at 100–18 over the course of 10 seasons. He became the sixth fastest NCAA coach to reach that record, following Gil Dobie (108 games), George Woodruff (109 games), Bud Wilkinson (111 games), Fielding Yost (114 games), and Knute Rockne (117 games). He was also the second-fastest to reach 100 wins since Wilkinson in 1945.^[48]

Despite reaching this milestone, the season was a difficult one for the Gators, and their 7–5 regular season record was the worst in Meyer's tenure at Florida. On December 8, 2010, Meyer again announced his retirement from coaching for much the same reasons he mentioned in December 2009: his family and his health.^[49][50]

Urban Meyer's last game as Florida's coach was a 37–24 win over Penn State in the 2011 Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.

ESPN career[link]

After resigning as the head football coach of the Florida Gators, Meyer worked as a college football commentator and analyst for the American television sports network ESPN.

Ohio State[link]

On November 23, 2011, The Plain Dealer reported that Meyer would become the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.^[51] Meyer denied the report publicly.^[52] Meyer then asked ESPN to be taken off assignment during the weekend of the Ohio State–Michigan game, adding more to the speculations that he might be named the next head coach of Ohio State.^{[53] [54]} On November 28, WBNS Columbus, confirmed that Meyer had accepted the job as Ohio State's head football coach, and was introduced as head coach later that night.^[55] The school said Meyer would receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments." ^[56]

2012 season[link]

Spread offense[link]

Meyer is widely considered one of the most accomplished practitioners of the spread offense. When Meyer got his first head coaching position at Bowling Green, he took trips to visit John L. Smith and Scott Linehan at Louisville, Randy Walker and Kevin Wilson at Northwestern, Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Joe Tiller and Jim Chaney at Purdue, and Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, all of whom ran some version of the spread offense^[20]

Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida all ran the spread, chiefly utilizing a run-first variation most similar to Rich Rodriguez's formerly at West Virginia with tweaks to fit the offensive personnel (for example, Meyer's first two years at Florida skewed toward a drop-back passing attack led by Chris Leak, while Alex Smith and Tim Tebow led an option run-based spread).^[20] Using this offense, he has won two BCS titles, has become the first coach to lead a non-BCS conference team (Utah) to a BCS bowl,^[57] has coached a Heisman trophy winner (Tim Tebow),^[58] and has graduated a player who became a number one overall pick in the NFL draft (Alex Smith).^[59]

Personal life[link]

Meyer was born on July 10, 1964 in Toledo, Ohio,^[3][60][61] and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio.^[62][63] He graduated from Ashtabula's Saint John High School in 1982.^[64] Meyer was also selected in the 13th round, as a shortstop, by the Atlanta Braves in the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft.^[3] Meyer spent two seasons playing minor league baseball in the Braves organization.^[17] He concurrently played defensive back at the University of Cincinnati before earning his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1986.^[3] During his undergraduate studies, Meyer also became a brother of the Sigma Chi Fraternity (Zeta Psi Chapter), and met his future wife at Sigma Chi's Derby Days philanthropy event.^[65]

Meyer went on to earn his master's degree in sports administration at The Ohio State University in 1988.^[3]

Meyer married Shelley Mather Meyer in 1986.^[3] The Meyers have three children: Nicole ("Nicki"), Gisela ("Gigi") and Nathan ("Nate").^[3] His two daughters currently play Division I volleyball: Nicki plays for Georgia Tech^[66] and Gigi plays for Florida Gulf Coast.^[67] He is a practicing Roman Catholic.^[68]

Philanthropy[link]

In October 2008, coach Urban Meyer and University of Florida head basketball coach Billy Donovan were named co-chairmen of an effort to raise $50 million to support the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program.^[69][70] This scholarship was designed for first-generation students that have unique needs and financial challenges.^[71] The Florida Opportunity Scholars Program was created by President Bernie Machen in 2006, and is intended to increase the opportunities for academically prepared first-generation students.^[72]

In December 2008, Meyer and Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham were the first people to donate money to the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the Utah football program.^[73][74]

Head coaching record[link]

Urban Meyer at the White House after winning the 2008 National Championship.