Bobby Jindal is the Republican Governor of Louisiana. He’s the youngest governor in the U.S. at only 36 years of age and is the first elected Indian-American governor in U.S. history.
Bobby Jindal’s name [had] been bandied about quite a bit as a possible choice as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2008 election. Many people view[ed] him as an ideal candidate because of his conservative credentials and his youth.
Jindal took the oath of office as Governor of Louisiana on January 14, 2008. In the infancy of his governorship he has been popular bringing hope that he will bring businesses and economic stability back to Louisiana following the exodus in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina.
“My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana.” Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal Biography
Piyush ‘Bobby’ Jindal was born on June 10, 1971 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jindal’s parents are Amar and Raj Jindal who immigrated to the United States to attend graduate school. They are of Punjabi ancestry. When Jindal was in high school he converted from Hinduism to Catholicism. He graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School when he was sixteen years old. He graduated from Brown University in Providence Rhode Island in 1991. He graduated with honors in biology and Public Policy. In 1994 Jindal earned his master’s degree at New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in Political Science.
Bobby Jindal’s career has been very impressive. He has held positions in government since 1996. Prior to being elected Governor of Louisiana he served as a Representative in the U.S. Congress. Some career highlights include: when he became Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals the State’s Medicaid program was in bankruptcy. The Medicare program went from a $400 Million deficit to surpluses of $220 million in just three years under his management. In 1999 when he was 28-years-old, he was appointed as the youngest ever President of the University of Louisiana system. In March 2001 he was nominated by President George Bush and was confirmed unanimously to serve as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Bobby Jindal married Supriya Jolly in 1997. The couple have three children, Selia Elizabeth, Shaan Robert and Slade Ryan.
