Bobby Jindal biography

Bobby Jindal was the 13th Republican to announce his candidacy for the 2016 presidential nomination.  He made the announcement first on Twitter on June 24, 2015, then later during a live event.

Here are some facts about Jindal's life.

• Born June 10, 1971 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He was named Piyush Jindal to parents who immigrated from India months earlier.  He changed his name to Bobby at the age of 4, inspired by The Brady Bunch. (npr.org)

• He was raised Hindu, but converted to Christianity in high school.  He read the Bible in a closet, hiding the conversion from his family. (npr.org)

• Graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1988.

• Graduated from Brown University with honors in biology and public policy

• Attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar

• In 1994, consulted Fortune 500 companies for McKinsey and Company.

• Appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in 1996.  He increased childhood immunizations, rescued the state's Medicaid program from going bankrupt, and expanded services for elderly and disabled people.

• In 1998, appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.

• Served as President of the University of Louisiana System.

• In 2001, Pres. George W. Bush named Jindal as Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

• 2003 ran for Governor of Louisiana unsuccessfully.

• 2004 elected to Congress, served as Freshmen Class President and Assistant Majority Whip.

• Elected Governor of Louisiana in October 2007, winning 60 or 64 parishes.

• Introduced ethics reform, eliminated taxes that "deterred investments" and "limited the growth of existing businesses."