July 14, 1962 - President Kennedy named Anthony J. Celebrezze (left), Mayor of Cleveland, today to be Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Celebrezze will succeed Abraham A. Ribicoff (right), who resigned two days ago to seek the Democratic nomination for Senator in Connecticut. The selection came as a surprise. Mr. Celebrezze’s name had not figured in the speculation that had preoccupied Washington for several weeks. President Kennedy said that he had known 51-year-old Mayor Celebrezze for a number of years, and he had the highest regard for “his ability, integrity, and dedication to public service.” Mr. Celebrezze was born in 1910 as one of 13 children to Dorothy and Rocco Cilibrizzi in Anzi, a town in southern Italy. The family moved to the U.S. when he was two years old, and the surname was changed to "Celebrezze."
