Representative Jan Meyers

Janice Lenore Meyers (née Crilly; July 20, 1928 – June 21, 2019) was an American Republican Party politician who served as a Representative from Kansas in the United States Congress from January 3, 1985, to January 3, 1997. Over six consecutive terms in the House of Representatives, she contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history and became the first Republican woman elected to the U.S. House from Kansas.

Meyers was born on July 20, 1928, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was raised in Nebraska, where she attended public schools in Superior. She pursued higher education at William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri, before transferring to the University of Nebraska. She graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951, laying the academic foundation for her later work in communications, public service, and politics.

Following her graduation, Meyers worked in the private sector, gaining experience in advertising and public relations. From 1951 until 1954, she was employed as an advertising and public relations assistant for a radio station in Omaha and for a department store in Lincoln, Nebraska. This early professional experience in media and business communications preceded her eventual move into public life and helped shape her understanding of both the commercial sector and public outreach.

Meyers began her political career at the local level after relocating to Kansas. From 1967 to 1972, she served as a city councilwoman in Overland Park, Kansas, marking her entry into elective office and local governance. Building on this experience, she was elected to the Kansas Senate, where she served from 1972 until 1984. During her tenure in the state legislature, she developed a reputation as an active Republican lawmaker. In 1978, she sought higher office and ran for the United States Senate, but was defeated in a multi-candidate Republican primary that was ultimately won by Nancy Kassebaum.

In 1984, Meyers successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Jack Reardon in the general election to win a seat in the 99th United States Congress. She was subsequently re-elected to the five succeeding Congresses, serving six terms in total as a Republican representative from Kansas from January 3, 1985, to January 3, 1997. As a member of the House of Representatives, Jan Meyers participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of her constituents during a period marked by the final years of the Cold War, the end of the Reagan era, the George H. W. Bush administration, and the early years of the Clinton administration. Her service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and she was recognized as a leading Republican woman in the House.

During the 104th United States Congress, Meyers held a key leadership role as chairwoman of the United States House Committee on Small Business. In this capacity, she played an important part in shaping legislation and oversight affecting small enterprises nationwide, reflecting her longstanding interest in business and economic issues. After more than a decade in Congress, she chose not to be a candidate for re-election to the 105th United States Congress and left office at the conclusion of her sixth term in January 1997.

In her later life, Meyers remained a notable figure in Republican and Kansas political history, particularly as a trailblazer for women in Congress. Her family also maintained involvement in politics; her son, Phil Meyers, ran for a congressional seat in Hawaii in 2000 as a Republican against Representative Neil Abercrombie, though he was defeated. Jan Meyers died from heart disease on June 21, 2019, at a hospital in Merriam, Kansas, at the age of 90, closing a long career in public service that spanned local, state, and national office.