His studies at University of Idaho were interrupted during his service as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific Theater.
In 1951, he accepted appointment as instructor in the then Animal Husbandry Department at UC Davis.
The Academic Federation's annual Distinguished Achievement Award is named in his honor.
[2] Meyer was inaugurated as the third chancellor of UC Davis in a ceremony on the Quad on April 24, 1970.
Campus milestones that occurred during his tenure as chancellor included: acquisition of the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, establishment of the Graduate School of Administration (now Management), the Divisions of Biology and Environmental Sciences, the Work-Learn Center, and construction of Rec Hall without state funds.