Bañuelos, Romana Acosta (1925–)

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Bañuelos, Romana Acosta (1925–)

Hispanic business executive and politician. Name variations: Romana Acosta Banuelos. Born Mar 20, 1925, in Miami, Arizona; grew up in Mexico in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua; returned to US (1947); div.; children: 2.

The 1st Mexican-American woman in US history to hold a Cabinet office, began career investing in a small tortilla factory in Los Angeles, a business that grew into a $5 million enterprise; founded Pan American National Bank of East Los Angeles (1964); served as treasurer of US (1971–74), under the Nixon administration.