Lauro Cavazos
| Lauro Cavazos | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 4th United States Secretary of Education | |
|
In office September 20, 1988 – December 12, 1990 |
|
| President |
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Bill Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Ted Sanders (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lauro Fred Cavazos January 4, 1927 Kingsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Peggy Murdock |
| Children | 10 |
| Education |
Texas Tech University, Lubbock (BS, MS) Iowa State University (PhD) |
Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (born January 4, 1927) is a U.S. educator and politician. He served as Secretary of Education, and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet.
A sixth-generation Texan, he was born on the King Ranch near Kingsville, Texas, where his father served as foreman of the showcase Santa Gertrudis cattle division. He was the son of Lauro F. Cavazos, Sr., and the former Tomasa Quintanilla. Through his maternal ancestry, he is a descendant of Texas Revolution heroine Francita Alavez, the "Angel of Goliad".
He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in zoology from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. in physiology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. While in college, he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi. Following a stint on the faculties of Tufts University and the Medical College of Virginia. From 1975-80, he served as Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine. From April 15, 1980, to 1988, he served as President of Texas Tech University. He was both the first alumnus and the first Hispanic to serve as Texas Tech president.
A Democrat, Cavazos served as Secretary of Education from August 1988 to December 1990 during the Republican Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. He was forced to resign amid an investigation into improper use of frequent flyer miles in December 1990.
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