Lauro Cavazos
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Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (born January 4, 1927) is a U.S. educator. He served as Secretary of Education from August, 1988 to December, 1990 during the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet.
He was born on the King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas, where his father served as foreman of the showcase Santa Gertrudis Division. He was the son of Lauro F. Cavazos Sr. and Tomasa Quintanilla Cavazos. Through his maternal ancestry, he is a descendant of Texas Revolution heroine Francisca Alvarez, 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. 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 to 1980, he served as Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine. From 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.
He was forced to resign as Education Secretary, amid an investigation into improper use of frequent flier miles. Following his resignation, he returned to the faculty of Tufts University where he is currently Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine. He is married to the former Peggy Ann Murdock. They have ten children, and currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts.
External links
- [Lauro F. Cavazos Papers (Texas Tech Archives)]
- [Time Magazine Article Preview Re: Cavazos Travel Inquiry]
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