Maxwell Lewis Rafferty Jr. (May 7, 1917 – June 13, 1982) was an American writer, educator, and politician. The author of several best-selling books about education, Rafferty served two terms as California State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1963 to 1971 under Governors Pat Brown and later eventual future US President Ronald Reagan and ran unsuccessfully in 1968 for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee, losing to Democratic former State Controller Alan Cranston.
