Lauro Cavazos

Lauro F. Cavazos, Jr.

Official photograph of Cavazos
4th United States Secretary of Education
In office September 20, 1988 – December 12, 1990
President	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	William Bennett
Succeeded by	Lamar Alexander
Personal details
Born	January 4, 1927 (1927-01-04) (age 85) Kingsville, Texas
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Peggy Ann Cavazos (née Murdock)
Alma mater	Texas Tech University Iowa State University
Profession	Educator

Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (b. January 4, 1927, Kingsville, Texas) is a U.S. educator. 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, 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.

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.

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 Peggy Ann Cavazos (née Murdock). They have ten children, and currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the brother of U.S. Army General Richard E. Cavazos.

References

Political offices
Preceded by William J. Bennett	United States Secretary of Education Served under: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush 1988 – 1990	Succeeded by Lamar Alexander

Texas Tech University Presidents

Paul W. Horn (1923–1932)
Bradford Knapp (1932–1938)
Clifford B. Jones (1938–1944)
William M. Whyburn (1944–1948)
Dossie M. Wiggins (1948–1952)
Edward N. Jones (1952–1959)
Robert C. Goodwin (1959–1966)
Grover E. Murray (1966–1976)
M. Cecil Mackey (1976–1979)
Lauro Cavazos (1980–1988)
Robert W. Lawless (1989–1996)
Donald R. Haragan (1996–2000)
David J. Schmidly (2000–2002)
Jon Whitmore (2003–2008)
Guy Bailey (2008– )

United States Secretaries of Education

Hufstedler • Bell • Bennett • Cavazos • Alexander • Riley • Paige • Spellings • Duncan

Cabinet of President George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)

Cabinet

Secretary of State	James Baker (1989–1992) • Lawrence Eagleburger (1992–1993)

Secretary of the Treasury	Nicholas F. Brady (1989–1993)

Secretary of Defense	Dick Cheney (1989–1993)

Attorney General	Dick Thornburgh (1989–1991) • William Barr (1991–1993)

Secretary of the Interior	Manuel Lujan, Jr. (1989–1993)

Secretary of the Agriculture	Clayton K. Yeutter (1989–1991) • Edward Rell Madigan (1991–1993)

Secretary of Commerce	Robert Mosbacher (1989–1992) • Barbara Hackman Franklin (1992 – 1993)

Secretary of Labor	Elizabeth Dole (1989 – 1990) • Lynn Morley Martin (1990 – 1993)

Secretary of Health and Human Services	Louis Wade Sullivan (1989–1993)

Secretary of Education	Lauro Cavazos (1989–1990) • Lamar Alexander (1991–1993)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Jack Kemp (1989–1993)

Secretary of Transportation	Samuel K. Skinner (1989–1992) • Andrew Card (1992–1993)

Secretary of Energy	James D. Watkins (1989–1993)

Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Ed Derwinski (1989–1992)

Cabinet-level

Vice President	Dan Quayle (1989–1993)

Trade Representative	Carla Anderson Hills (1989 – 1993)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget	Richard Darman (1989 – 1993)

Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)

Cabinet

Secretary of State	Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (1981–1982) · George P. Shultz (1982–1989)

Secretary of the Treasury	Donald T. Regan (1981–1985) · James A. Baker, III (1985–1988) · Nicholas F. Brady (1988–1989)

Secretary of Defense	Caspar Weinberger (1981–1987) · Frank C. Carlucci (1987–1989)

Attorney General	William French Smith (1981–1985) · Edwin Meese III (1985–1988) · Richard L. Thornburgh (1988–1989)

Secretary of the Interior	James G. Watt (1981–1983) · William P. Clark, Jr. (1983–1985) · Donald P. Hodel (1985–1989)

Secretary of Agriculture	John R. Block (1981–1986) · Richard E. Lyng (1986–1989)

Secretary of Commerce	Malcolm Baldrige, Jr. (1981–1987) · C. William Verity, Jr. (1987–1989)

Secretary of Labor	Raymond J. Donovan (1981–1985) · William E. Brock (1985–1987) · Ann Dore McLaughlin (1987–1989)

Secretary of Health and Human Services	Richard S. Schweiker (1981–1983) · Margaret M. Heckler (1983–1985) · Otis R. Bowen (1985–1989)

Secretary of Education	T. H. Bell (1981–1985) · William J. Bennett (1985–1988) · Lauro F. Cavazos (1988–1989)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Samuel R. Pierce, Jr. (1981–1989)

Secretary of Transportation	Andrew L. Lewis, Jr. (1981–1983) · Elizabeth H. Dole (1983–1987) · James H. Burnley IV (1988–1989)

Secretary of Energy	James B. Edwards (1981–1983) · Donald P. Hodel (1983–1985) · John S. Herrington (1985–1989)

Cabinet-level

Vice President	George H. W. Bush (1981–1989)

Director of Central Intelligence	William J. Casey (1981–1987) · William H. Webster (1987–1989)

Ambassador to the United Nations	Jeane Kirkpatrick (1981–1985) · Vernon A. Walters (1985–1989)

Trade Representative	William E. Brock, III (1981–1985) · Clayton K. Yeutter (1985–1989)

Persondata
Name	Cavazos, Lauro
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 4, 1927
Place of birth	Kingsville, Texas
Date of death
Place of death