Riveras service as chancellor was significant for a number of reasons. He had the distinction of being both the first minority. and the youngest person. to ever head a UC campus. But I believe his personal achievements are even more impressive than his professional ones. Tomas Rivera brought to the campus a perspective that was unique among his peers. Born in 1935. he was raised in Texas by his parents. who were laborers and cooks. He said. "Up to the time I started teaching. I was part of the migrant labor stream that went from Texas to the Midwest. I lived and worked in Iowa. Minnesota.