Earl Brian
Earl Winfrey Brian Jr. (1942–November 2, 2020) was an American physician and businessman who served in California’s government under Governor Ronald Reagan, first as Director of the Department of Health Care Services and then as Secretary of Health and Welfare. He studied medicine at Duke University and served in the Army Medical Corps in Vietnam, leaving the service in 1970. In 1974 he ran for the U.S. Senate but lost in the Republican primary.
After politics, he started Biotech Capital in 1980, a venture capital firm focused on medical technology. The company later shifted to news and information services, becoming Infotechnology in 1987 and buying United Press International (UPI) in 1988. The firm went bankrupt in 1991, and so did FNN and UPI. In 1995 he was charged with conspiracy and fraud for inflating the value of FNN and UPI to obtain loans; he was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to four years in prison.
During his time as California secretary, he implemented a $2 co-payment for Medi-Cal doctor visits, but failed to curb Medi-Cal benefits after a suit by the California Medical Association.
Brian died on November 2, 2020, at age 78 in Easton, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:15 (CET).