Overview
- His family said he died Tuesday morning at age 92 and will share memorial details soon, requesting prayers and privacy.
- He led Houston ISD from 1994 to 2001, championing data-driven reforms dubbed the “Houston Miracle,” later complicated by probes of test participation and dropout reporting.
- Appointed in 2001 as the first Black U.S. education secretary and the first former superintendent in the role, he helped enact No Child Left Behind.
- His career spanned Jackson State and Texas Southern University, including stints as coach, athletic director, dean and interim president, and he was with President Bush during the Sept. 11 school visit.
- Honors and tributes include statements from HISD and Houston officials, a Houston elementary bearing his name, and the TSU College of Education building dedicated to him.