Editing Lauro Cavazos

{{Short description|American educator and politician (1927–2022)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Lauro Cavazos
| image               = Cavazos.jpg
| order               = 4th
| office              = United States Secretary of Education
| president           = [[Ronald Reagan]]<br>[[George H. W. Bush]]
| term_start          = September 20, 1988
| term_end            = December 12, 1990
| predecessor         = [[William Bennett]]
| successor           = [[Lamar Alexander]]
| office2             = 10th President of [[Texas Tech University]]
| term_start2         = 1980
| term_end2           = 1988
| predecessor2        = Lawrence Graves (interim)
| successor2          = [[Robert W. Lawless]]
| birth_name          = Lauro Fred Cavazos
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1927|1|4}}
| birth_place         = [[King Ranch|Kingsville]], [[Texas]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2022|3|15|1927|1|4}}
| death_place         = [[Concord, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| mother              = Tomasa (Quintanilla) Cavazos{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}{{r|Cavazos_20080219}}
| father              = Lauro F. Cavazos Sr.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}{{r|Cavazos_20080219}}
| relatives           = {{ubl|descendant of [[Francita Alavez]]{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}{{r|Cavazos_20080219|page=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/18/ 18]}}|[[Richard E. Cavazos]] (brother)}}
| spouse              = Peggy Ann Murdock{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}
| children            = 10
| education           = {{ubl|[[Texas Tech University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[Master of Science|MS]])|[[Iowa State University]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])}}
<!--Military service-->| allegiance          = United States{{r|Cavazos_20080219|pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/112 112]}}
| branch              = [[United States Army]]{{r|Cavazos_20080219|pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/112 112]}}
| serviceyears        = {{Start date|1944}}{{mdash}}{{end date|1946}}{{r|Cavazos_20080219|pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/112 112]}}
| rank                = 
| unit                = 
| commands            = 
}}

'''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 [[List of Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] to serve in the [[Cabinet of the United States|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.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}} His father served as foreman of the showcase [[Santa Gertrudis cattle]] division.{{r|Ezzell_19800214|page=[https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth184157/m1/19/ 19]}} Through his maternal ancestry, he was a descendant of [[Texas Revolution]] heroine [[Francita Alavez]], the "[[Goliad massacre|Angel of Goliad]]".{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}

Cavazos enlisted the United States Army in 1944{{r|Cavazos_20080219|pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/112 112]}} and served state-side in an infantry unit in the waning days of World War II.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}  He was the brother of U.S. Army General [[Richard E. Cavazos]].{{r|Williams_20131118}}

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.{{r|Cavazos_20080219|pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/113 113-114]}} He later transferred to Texas Technological College (currently [[Texas Tech University]]) where he earned [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] and [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] degrees in [[zoology]],{{r|LaVentana_1949|p=54}}.  He later earned a Ph.D. in [[physiology]] in 1954 from [[Iowa State University]] (ISU) in [[Ames, Iowa]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2006/apr/best.shtml|title=Iowa State University alumni, friends to receive top awards April 20|date=April 17, 2006|website=Iowa State University|language=en-us|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> 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.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}} From 1980 to 1988, he served as President of [[Texas Tech University]].{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}} 

A Democrat, Cavazos served as Secretary of Education from August 1988 to December 1990 during the Republican [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] and [[George H. W. Bush]] administrations. He was confirmed by the Senate in a 94-0 vote.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}} 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.{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}

=== Awards ===
In 2006, his alma mater [[Iowa State University]] awarded him the Distinguished Achievement Award, their highest honors.<ref name=":0" />

==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.{{r|Driggars_20220316}}{{r|NYT_McFadden_20220316}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{cite book | last1 = Cavazos | first1 = Lauro F. | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 2008-02-19 | title = A Kineño Remembers: From the King Ranch to the White House | url = https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/ | url-access = registration | language = en | publisher = [[Texas A&M University Press]] | pages = 113–114 | isbn = 978-1603440448 | lccn = 2005034155 | oclc = 62509065 | ol = OL37108732M | access-date = 2023-03-28 | df = dmy-all }}
*{{cite book | last1 = Cavazos | first1 = Lauro F. | last2 = Preuss | first2 = Gene B. | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 2016-06-06 | title = A Kineño's Journey: On Family, Learning, and Public Service | language = en | publisher = [[Texas Tech University Press]] | isbn = 978-0896729681 | lccn = 2016017176 | oclc = 951172368 | ol = OL29322303M | df = dmy-all }}
{{refend}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Williams_20131118">{{cite news | last1 = Williams | first1 = Don | date = 2013-11-18 | title = Bobby Cavazos, son of the King Ranch, Tech all-American, dies at 82 | url = https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/college/football/2013/11/18/bobby-cavazos-son-king-ranch-tech-all-american-dies/15065938007/ | url-status = live | url-access = limited | work = [[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] | language = en-us | eissn = 2331-6357 | issn = 2331-6349 | lccn = sn86088055 | oclc = 13942131 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230328120551/https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/college/football/2013/11/18/bobby-cavazos-son-king-ranch-tech-all-american-dies/15065938007/ | archive-date = 2023-03-28 | access-date = 2023-03-28 | quote = Bobby Cavazos was a brother of former Tech President Lauro Cavazos and four-star U.S. Army Gen. Richard Cavazos. Their father, Lauro Sr., was a King Ranch foreman. | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="Cavazos_20080219">{{cite book | last1 = Cavazos | first1 = Lauro F. | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 2008-02-19 | chapter = Chapter 5: The Road from Kingsville | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/page/112/ | chapter-url-access = registration | title = A Kineño Remembers: From the King Ranch to the White House | url = https://archive.org/details/kinenoremembersf00cava/ | url-access = registration | language = en | publisher = [[Texas A&M University Press]] | pages = 113–114 | isbn = 978-1603440448 | lccn = 2005034155 | oclc = 62509065 | ol = OL37108732M | access-date = 2023-03-28 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="Ezzell_19800214">{{cite news | last1 = Ezzell | first1 = Ben | last2 = Ezzell | first2 = Nancy | date = 1980-02-14 | title = Texas Tech to install president April 15 | url = https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth184157/m1/19/ | work = [[The Canadian Record]] | language = en-us | volume = 91 | issue = 7 | edition = 1 | location = [[Canadian, Texas]] | page = 19 | eissn = 2834-2054 | issn = 2834-2046 | oclc = 14062638 | via = [[University_of_North_Texas_Libraries#Digital_Libraries_Division|University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History]] | access-date = 2023-03-28  | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="LaVentana_1949">{{cite book | author = <!-- not stated --> | editor-last1 = Williams | editor-first1 = Bob | editor-last2 = Thompson | editor-first2 = Jayne | date = 1949 | title = [[Texas Tech University#Student life|La Ventana]] | language = en-us | volume = 24 | location = [[Lubbock, Texas]] | publisher = [[Texas Technological College|Texas Tech University]] | page = 54 | hdl = 2346/48689 | hdl-access = free | quote = Larry Cavazos ... Kingsville | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="Driggars_20220316">{{cite news | last1 = Driggars | first1 = Alex | date = 2022-03-16 | title = A Texas Tech trailblazer: Former University President, Cabinet Secretary Lauro Cavazos dies at 95 | url = https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/03/16/former-texas-tech-president-lauro-cavazos-dies-95/7064794001/ | url-status = live | url-access = limited | work = [[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] | language = en-us | eissn = 2331-6357 | issn = 2331-6349 | lccn = sn86088055 | oclc = 13942131 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230328133631/https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/03/16/former-texas-tech-president-lauro-cavazos-dies-95/7064794001/ | archive-date = 2023-03-28 | access-date = 2023-03-28 | quote = Lauro F. Cavazos, Jr., a pioneering education administrator who served as the first Mexican-American president of Texas Tech University and the first Hispanic person to hold a U.S. Cabinet position, died Tuesday in Concord, Massachusetts. [...] He was 95 years old. | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name="NYT_McFadden_20220316">{{cite news | last1 = McFadden | first1 = Robert D. | author-link1 = Robert D. McFadden | last2 = Sandoval | first2 = Edgar | last3 = Traub | first3 = Alex | date = 2022-03-16 | title = Lauro Cavazos, First Hispanic Cabinet Member, Dies at 95 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/us/lauro-cavazos-dead.html | url-status = live | url-access = subscription | work = [[The New York Times]] | language = en-us | eissn = 1553-8095 | issn = 0362-4331 | lccn = sn00061556 | oclc = 1645522 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230305230108/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/us/lauro-cavazos-dead.html | archive-date = 2023-03-05 | access-date = 2023-03-28 | quote = Lauro Cavazos, the United States secretary of education from 1988 to 1990 under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and the nation's first Latino to serve in a cabinet post, died on Tuesday at his home in Concord, Mass. He was 95. | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ttusw/00035/tsw-00035.html Lauro F. Cavazos papers (Texas Tech Archives)]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/lauro-cavazos Answers.com-Lauro Cavazos]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050121044516/http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,973018,00.html "Cancel Our Reservations" - ''Time Magazine'' article regarding use of frequent flier miles]
* {{C-SPAN|3749}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[William Bennett|Bill Bennett]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States Secretary of Education]]|years=1988–1990}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Lamar Alexander]]}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box | before = Lawrence Graves<br /><small>{{nobold|Interim}}</small> | title = President of [[Texas Tech University]] | years = 1980–1988| after = [[Robert W. Lawless]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Texas Tech University presidents}}
{{USSecEd}}
{{GHW Bush cabinet}}
{{Reagan cabinet}}
{{Authority control}}

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