Alex Azar Bio
Alex Michael Azar II (born June 17, 1967) is an American attorney, businessman, lobbyist, pharmaceutical executive, and politician who served as the 24th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he is widely known for his work at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and for leading the early federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and raised in part on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Azar built a career that spans the federal government, the pharmaceutical industry, and the legal profession. He served in senior roles during the George W. Bush administration, later ran the U.S. operations of Eli Lilly and Company, and returned to public service as HHS Secretary under President Donald Trump. After leaving office, he rejoined the private sector, focusing on health policy advisory work.
Early Life and Background
Alex Michael Azar II was born on June 17, 1967, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the son of Lynda (Zarisky) and Alex Michael Azar Sr. His father is a retired ophthalmologist who practiced in Salisbury, Maryland, for more than 30 years and taught at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through his grandfather, who emigrated from Lebanon in the early 20th century, Azar is of Lebanese, Ukrainian, English, and Swiss descent, and the family traces its roots to Amioun in northern Lebanon.
Azar attended Parkside High School in Salisbury, Maryland, graduating in 1985. He then enrolled at Dartmouth College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in government and economics in 1988. At Dartmouth, he joined the Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity and developed an early interest in public policy and law.
After college, Azar attended Yale Law School, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1991. While at Yale, he served on the executive committee of the Yale Law Journal, a distinction that reflected his standing among his classmates. His education in law and government laid the foundation for a career in public service and corporate leadership.
Path to US Politics
Following law school, Azar clerked for Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1991 to 1992, where he worked alongside Brett Kavanaugh. He finished his clerkship year with Judge J. Michael Luttig of the Fourth Circuit before serving as a law clerk for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992 to 1993. These positions gave him direct exposure to the federal judiciary at its highest levels.
From 1994 to 1996, Azar worked as an associate independent counsel for Ken Starr in the United States Office of the Independent Counsel, contributing to the early stages of the Whitewater investigation. He then joined the Washington, D.C., law firm Wiley Rein in 1996, where he became a partner before entering the executive branch. This combination of courtroom, prosecutorial, and private legal experience shaped his approach to government service.
In 2001, Azar transitioned into federal executive work when he was confirmed as General Counsel of HHS under President George W. Bush. His performance during the 2001 anthrax attacks, smallpox preparedness, and outbreaks of SARS and influenza helped him rise within the department. On July 22, 2005, he was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position in which he managed an organization whose annual budget grew to more than $1 trillion.
Alex Azar Career
Early Career (1991-2001)
Azar began his legal career with a series of prestigious clerkships in the early 1990s, working in the chambers of Judge Alex Kozinski, Judge J. Michael Luttig, and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. These positions allowed him to develop a deep understanding of constitutional law and federal appellate practice. After completing his clerkships, he joined the Office of the Independent Counsel, contributing to investigations of national significance.
From 1996 to 2001, Azar practiced law at Wiley Rein in Washington, D.C., where he rose to partner. His work focused on regulatory and policy matters, building expertise that would later shape his approach to government service. During this period, he established a network of contacts in Washington that would prove important when he moved into the executive branch.
HHS Government Service Breakthrough (2001-2007)
In 2001, Azar was confirmed as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, Azar played an important role in responding to the 2001 anthrax attacks, ensuring a smallpox vaccine was ready, and managing outbreaks of SARS and influenza. He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate for this role.
On July 22, 2005, Azar was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, again winning unanimous Senate confirmation. Working under Secretary Mike Leavitt, he supervised the operations of HHS, led the development of regulations, and coordinated U.S. government efforts to encourage pharmaceutical and medical device innovation. He resigned from the department in January 2007.
Eli Lilly Era (2007-2017)
In June 2007, Azar joined Eli Lilly and Company as senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications, becoming the company’s top lobbyist. In April 2009, he became vice president of Lilly’s U.S. Managed Healthcare Services organization and its Puerto Rico affiliate, and on January 1, 2012, he was named president of Lilly USA, the company’s largest division. During his tenure, drug prices rose substantially, including a tripling of the cost of Eli Lilly’s top-selling insulin product.
Azar also served on the board of directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a major pharmaceutical trade association. In January 2017, he resigned from Eli Lilly following a corporate reorganization, having earned roughly $2 million in his final year. His decade at Eli Lilly would later become a central point of debate during his nomination to lead HHS.
Trump Administration Era (2017-2021)
On November 13, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Azar as the next HHS Secretary. Health-care advocates raised concerns about his record on drug pricing and his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, but supporters including former Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist backed his nomination. On January 24, 2018, the Senate confirmed him by a vote of 55-43, and he was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on January 29, 2018.
As HHS Secretary, Azar presided over the release of the Trump administration’s National Biodefense Strategy in 2018 and the Global Health Security Strategy in 2019. He also chaired the White House Coronavirus Task Force from its inception on January 29, 2020, until February 26, 2020, when Vice President Pence assumed leadership of the group. On January 20, 2021, he submitted a letter of resignation urging a peaceful transition of power following the events of January 6, 2021, and departed office with the rest of the Trump administration.
Notable Events and Milestones
One signature moment in Azar’s tenure was his August 9, 2020, visit to Taiwan, making him the first U.S. Cabinet member to visit the island in six years. He signed a memorandum of understanding on medical and health cooperation in Taipei, underscoring U.S. support for Taiwan’s role in global health. On January 20, 2021, China imposed sanctions on Azar and other senior Trump administration officials, a move that the Biden National Security Council called unproductive and cynical.
Alex Azar Family
Family Background and Lineage
Azar is the son of Lynda (Zarisky) and Alex Michael Azar Sr., a retired ophthalmologist who practiced in Salisbury, Maryland, for more than 30 years and taught at Johns Hopkins Hospital. His grandfather emigrated from Lebanon in the early 20th century, and the family has roots in the town of Amioun. Azar’s heritage also includes Ukrainian, English, and Swiss ancestry.
Personal Life
Before his nomination as HHS Secretary, Azar lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife and two children. He is an Antiochian Orthodox Christian and a former Episcopalian. In 2020, he publicly revealed that he has celiac disease while discussing an FDA rule related to gluten-free labeling for fermented foods. After leaving government service in 2021, Azar returned to the private sector, focusing on healthcare consulting and advisory work, and in 2021 was appointed a senior executive in residence at the Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami.