Joel N. Myers
Encyclopedia
Joel N. Myers is founder, president and chairman of the board of AccuWeather
, Inc., an American commercial weather service. AccuWeather provides forecasts and data to over 175,000 clients around the world and serves millions more through its free website, AccuWeather.com. AccuWeather's global headquarters is located in State College, Pennsylvania
, and employs more than 400 people, over 70% of whom are Penn State graduates.
. He became interested in weather as a child, and by age seven had decided he wanted to become a meteorologist. He first conceived the idea of founding a commercial weather company at age eleven.
A graduate of Philadelphia's Central High School, Myers began his college career at the Ogontz campus
of The Pennsylvania State University, transferring to main campus as a sophomore. He went on to receive his B.S.
, M.S.
and Ph.D.
in meteorology
from The Pennsylvania State University in 1961, 1963, and 1971, respectively.
since November 15, 1962 when he began forecasting the weather for a gas utility company in Pennsylvania
while he was a graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University.
Myers served on the faculty of Penn State from 1964 until 1981 as instructor, lecturer and assistant professor and had taught weather forecasting to approximately 17% of all practicing meteorologists in the United States upon retirement from active teaching in 1981.
Myers has authored more than 75 articles and papers on a wide range of technical and business subjects and has given hundreds of speeches and presentations. He has appeared on The ABC Nightly News, To Tell the Truth, Larry King Live and has been quoted in Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic, The Economist, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Forbes and in more than 500 magazines and newspapers. As a weather broadcaster for 18 years, he has been seen and heard on major media nationwide and is generally considered the nation’s most respected source on the business of meteorology and how it affects industry and consumers. The New York Times in 1971 called Dr. Myers “the most reliable man in the forecasting business.”
Myers has been called upon several times by the U.S. Congress, National Research Council, and U.S. National Weather Service to testify as an expert on weather forecasts and information and on the respective roles of the government and private sector weather services.
Myers was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine
’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs as one of the 528 greatest entrepreneurs in American history. Myers has also served on the Board of Directors of Team Pennsylvania since 1998, where he has been appointed by three Pennsylvania governors. Among his numerous awards and recognitions are the National Weather Association Individual Achievement Award (2004), the Ernst & Young Western Pennsylvania Entrepreneur Of The Year Award (2003), the Theodor Herzel Award of The Jerusalem Fund of Aish Ha Torah (2000), election to the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2000), and the American Cancer Society’s Excalibur Award (1998).
in 1962 as a consulting practice serving commercial customers. The company's first full-time employee was Elliot Abrams, now AccuWeather Chief Forecaster. AccuWeather began to serve television and radio clients in 1971 and subsequently expanded to newspapers. The company launched a free website, AccuWeather.com, in 1996. By 2007, the company's website for wireless was ranked as the tenth most visited wireless site in the United States.
, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
(R
-PA) that would have prohibited the National Weather Service
from publishing weather data to the public when private-sector entities, such as AccuWeather, perform the same function commercially. . Myers has been a long-time large donor to the Republican Party
, its candidates, and to Santorum, his home-state Senator.
Santorum was accused of political impropriety and influence peddling in his interactions with Myers and he subsequently lost his bid for re-election.
AccuWeather
AccuWeather is an American media company that provides for-profit weather forecasting services worldwide.AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers, then a Penn State graduate student working on degrees in meteorology. His first customer was a gas company in Pennsylvania. While running the...
, Inc., an American commercial weather service. AccuWeather provides forecasts and data to over 175,000 clients around the world and serves millions more through its free website, AccuWeather.com. AccuWeather's global headquarters is located in State College, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and employs more than 400 people, over 70% of whom are Penn State graduates.
Early years
Myers is a native of Philadelphia, PAPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He became interested in weather as a child, and by age seven had decided he wanted to become a meteorologist. He first conceived the idea of founding a commercial weather company at age eleven.
A graduate of Philadelphia's Central High School, Myers began his college career at the Ogontz campus
Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington is a commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University. Located approximately north of Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in the Abington section of Abington Township, it is set in wooded, which include a duck pond and stands of hardwood trees...
of The Pennsylvania State University, transferring to main campus as a sophomore. He went on to receive his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
from The Pennsylvania State University in 1961, 1963, and 1971, respectively.
Career
Myers has been a weather forecasterWeather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
since November 15, 1962 when he began forecasting the weather for a gas utility company in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
while he was a graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University.
Myers served on the faculty of Penn State from 1964 until 1981 as instructor, lecturer and assistant professor and had taught weather forecasting to approximately 17% of all practicing meteorologists in the United States upon retirement from active teaching in 1981.
Myers has authored more than 75 articles and papers on a wide range of technical and business subjects and has given hundreds of speeches and presentations. He has appeared on The ABC Nightly News, To Tell the Truth, Larry King Live and has been quoted in Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic, The Economist, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Forbes and in more than 500 magazines and newspapers. As a weather broadcaster for 18 years, he has been seen and heard on major media nationwide and is generally considered the nation’s most respected source on the business of meteorology and how it affects industry and consumers. The New York Times in 1971 called Dr. Myers “the most reliable man in the forecasting business.”
Myers has been called upon several times by the U.S. Congress, National Research Council, and U.S. National Weather Service to testify as an expert on weather forecasts and information and on the respective roles of the government and private sector weather services.
Myers was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur is a publication that carries news stories about entrepreneurialism, small business management, and business opportunities. It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California....
’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs as one of the 528 greatest entrepreneurs in American history. Myers has also served on the Board of Directors of Team Pennsylvania since 1998, where he has been appointed by three Pennsylvania governors. Among his numerous awards and recognitions are the National Weather Association Individual Achievement Award (2004), the Ernst & Young Western Pennsylvania Entrepreneur Of The Year Award (2003), the Theodor Herzel Award of The Jerusalem Fund of Aish Ha Torah (2000), election to the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2000), and the American Cancer Society’s Excalibur Award (1998).
AccuWeather, Inc.
Myers founded AccuWeatherAccuWeather
AccuWeather is an American media company that provides for-profit weather forecasting services worldwide.AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers, then a Penn State graduate student working on degrees in meteorology. His first customer was a gas company in Pennsylvania. While running the...
in 1962 as a consulting practice serving commercial customers. The company's first full-time employee was Elliot Abrams, now AccuWeather Chief Forecaster. AccuWeather began to serve television and radio clients in 1971 and subsequently expanded to newspapers. The company launched a free website, AccuWeather.com, in 1996. By 2007, the company's website for wireless was ranked as the tenth most visited wireless site in the United States.
Other business interests
Myers has long had an in business and investments. He is a certified Commodity Traders Advisor, and operates futures and hedge funds as principal of Weather Prophets, Inc. He also continues his lifelong interest in education as a Pennsylvania State University Trustee, a position which he has held since 1982.Controversy and criticism
Myers faced criticism in 2005 when he supported the National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005
The National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005 was a legislative proposal forwarded in April 2005 by now former United States Senator Rick Santorum to curtail perceived government competition with commercial weather services from the National Weather Service...
, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-PA) that would have prohibited the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
from publishing weather data to the public when private-sector entities, such as AccuWeather, perform the same function commercially. . Myers has been a long-time large donor to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, its candidates, and to Santorum, his home-state Senator.
Santorum was accused of political impropriety and influence peddling in his interactions with Myers and he subsequently lost his bid for re-election.
External links
- AccuWeather.com AccuWeather website