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, and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet.

Early life and education

A sixth-generation Texan, Cavazos was born on the King Ranch near Kingsville, Texas, 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 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) where he earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in zoology,. He later earned a Ph.D. in physiology in 1954 from Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa. While in college, he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Career

Following a stint on the faculties of Tufts University and the Medical College of Virginia, Cavazos served as Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine from 1975 to 1980. 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 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 Iowa State University 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, on March 15, 2022, at the age of 95.