Pacheco was born in Rocky Ford, Colorado. He received a bachelor's degree from New Mexico Highlands University in 1962, a masters in Spanish, and a Ph.D. in foreign language from the Ohio State University in 1962 and 1969, respectively.[3]
During his tenure as president of the University of Missouri System ("MU"), Pacheco recommended to the board of curators that the university system exclude sexual orientation as a protected category in the system's non-discrimination clause. Pacheco stated his desire to only include categories protected by law (at the time, sexual orientation was not). The board accepted the recommendation in 1999, despite protests from students.[5] In October 2003, after Pacheco's retirement, the system added sexual orientation to the clause, making it one of the last in the former "Big 12" to do so.[6] In 1991, Pacheco was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.[7]