A Kineño's Journey: On Family, Learning, and Public Service

On September 20, 1988, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Lauro F. Cavazos as the fourth Secretary of Education in President Ronald Reagan's administration. A sixth-generation Texan and Kinen?o--a descendant of Mexican citizens who accepted work on Texas's King Ranch in the 19th century--Cavazos was the first Hispanic appointed to a position in an American Presidential Cabinet. The story of Cavazos's journey leading up to his cabinet appointment is a portrait of a life devoted to the principles of education. In 1954, Cavazos married Peggy Ann Murdock; the couple had ten children, all of whom were educated in public schools. To enhance their children's education, the Cavazos traveled extensively, living out the principle that a holistic education includes exposure to others' worldviews. During his service as Secretary of Education, Cavazos insisted that all children in America be educated to their fullest potential. A key tenet of Cavazos's service was an emphasis on educating minority students-a passion Cavazos formed early on in his career, first as a faculty member at the Medical College of Virginia, then as a professor and Dean at the Tufts University School of Medicine, and later as President of Texas Tech University.