From brickyard to House speakerSourced
He left school to help his family, then led Colorado's state House.
Ruben Valdez dropped out of high school at 15 to work in a brickyard as his family struggled financially. He later earned a high-school equivalency qualification, studied further and won election to Colorado's House in 1970. In 1975 he became its first Hispanic speaker.
A return to education led all the way to the chamber's chair.
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Ruben A. Valdez · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-01