Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (January 4, 1927 – March 15, 2022) was an American educator and politician. He served as the

United States Secretary of Education The United States secretary of education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activi ...

, and was the first

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

to serve in the

United States Cabinet The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States. The Cabinet generally meets with the president in Cabinet Room (White House), a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of ...

Early life and education

A sixth-generation Texan, Cavazos was born on the King Ranch near

Kingsville, Texas Kingsville is a city in the South Texas, southern region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Kleberg County, Texas, Kleberg County. Located on the U.S. Route 77 in Texas, U.S. Route 77 corridor between Corpus Christi, Texas, Corpus C ...

, and was the son of Lauro F. Cavazos Sr. and Tomasa (Quintanilla) Cavazos. His father served as foreman of the showcase Santa Gertrudis cattle division. Through his maternal ancestry, he was a descendant of

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

heroine Francita Alavez, the " Angel of Goliad". Cavazos enlisted the United States Army in 1944 and served state-side in an infantry unit in the waning days of World War II. He was the brother of U.S. Army General Richard E. Cavazos. Shortly after his discharge from the Army, Cavazos enrolled at Texas College of Arts and Industries (currently Texas A&M University–Kingsville), majoring in journalism. He later transferred to Texas Technological College (currently

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

) where he earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in

zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

,. He later earned a Ph.D. in

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

in 1954 from

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

(ISU) in

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Ames ha ...

. While in college, he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Career

Following a stint on the faculties of

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

and the Medical College of Virginia, Cavazos served as Dean of the

Tufts University School of Medicine The Tufts University School of Medicine is the medical school of Tufts University, a Private university, private research university in Massachusetts. It was established in 1893 and is located on the university's health sciences campus in down ...

from 1975 to 1980. From 1980 to 1988, he served as President of

. A Democrat, Cavazos served as Secretary of Education from August 1988 to December 1990 during the Republican Reagan and

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

administrations. He was confirmed by the Senate in a 94-0 vote. He resigned in December 1990. Following his resignation as Secretary of Education, he returned to the faculty of Tufts University where he served as Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine.

Awards

In 2006, his alma mater

awarded him the Distinguished Achievement Award, their highest honors.

Personal life

Cavazos was married to the former Peggy Ann Murdock; they had ten children and lived in Massachusetts. He died in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...

, on March 15, 2022, at the age of 95.

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

Lauro F. Cavazos papers (Texas Tech Archives)

Answers.com-Lauro Cavazos

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cavazos, Lauro 1927 births 2022 deaths Academics from Boston Academics from Texas American academics of Mexican descent American politicians of Mexican descent George H. W. Bush administration cabinet members Hispanic and Latino American members of the Cabinet of the United States Hispanic and Latino American people in Massachusetts politics Hispanic and Latino American people in Texas politics Iowa State University alumni Massachusetts Democrats Military personnel from Texas People from Kingsville, Texas Politicians from Boston Presidents of Texas Tech University Reagan administration cabinet members Texas Democrats Texas Tech University alumni Tufts University faculty United States Army soldiers United States secretaries of education 20th-century Texas politicians 21st-century Texas politicians 20th-century American academics 21st-century American academics