It was named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, who arranged to set aside land in counties for public schools.

By 1942, the college was completely independent of the South Park school district, and operations moved to the current campus.

On June 14, 1949, Governor Beauford Jester signed the bill creating Lamar State College of Technology.

[10] A group of African-American veterans of World War II, barred from admission on the grounds of race and calling themselves the Negro Goodwill Council, protested to Governor Beauford Jester about the exclusion of blacks from Lamar State College.

On January 29, when Briscoe went to register for classes, Lamar's acting president G. A. Wimberly explained that a mistake had been made and suggested he apply to TSUN, now named Texas Southern University.

Lamar Cecil, federal judge, ruled on July 30, 1956, that Lamar's "white youth" only admissions policy was unconstitutional, and that September, a total of twenty-six black students were admitted to the college amid violent protests at the campus gates and throughout the region which continued for several weeks until Texas Rangers arrived and the rule of law was restored.

Lamar Institute of Technology was created in 1990 in Beaumont to provide technical, business, health and industrial education through programs two years or fewer in length.

[12] In August 2007, the university completed construction on Cardinal Village IV, a $16 million expansion of its residence halls.

[13] The university completed construction of Cardinal Village Phase V in August 2010 bringing on-campus housing capacity to 2,500 students.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement offers training and support to faculty and runs the university's Active and Collaborative Engagement for Students (ACES) Program.

The ACES program is designed to provide support to high-risk students and integrate active learning methods into all core courses at LU.

[20] Online dual credit courses are available for free to high school students through state funding via House Bill 3646.

Communication degree programs include journalism, broadcasting, film, American Sign Language and Interpretation, speech-language pathology and audiology.

The 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) Wayne A. Reaud Building, which houses the honors college as well as university administration offices, broke ground on October 7, 2014.

[27][28] The Lamar University campus is located off of Martin Luther King Boulevard, near U.S. Highway 69, in the southeast part of Beaumont, Texas.

The Big Thicket National Preserve, Village Creek State Park and the Gulf of Mexico are all located within 30 minutes of the school.

Facilities include the 10,080-seat Montagne Center, the eight-story Mary and John Gray Library, and the 16,000-seat Provost Umphrey Stadium.

On November 22, 2021, the university announced Texas Legislature approval of $44.9 million in capital construction assistance toward expansion and improvements to the library.

[31] The construction included renovation of the McDonald Gym, which had previously served as the university's sports center and home of the volleyball program.

[34] The museum offers students an opportunity to experience diverse styles that reflect international trends, as well as a chance to exhibit their own work.

[36] The museum's permanent collection includes 19th- and 20th-century paintings from American and European artists, as well as tribal art from Africa, New Guinea and Pre-Columbian Mexico.

Lamar has participated in practically every level of collegiate athletics from its inception as a junior college in 1923 to its gaining university status in 1971.

[40] Regents of The Texas State University System approved the athletics fee to reinstate football at its regular meeting February 20, 2008.

[41] After twenty seasons without a football team, the Lamar University Cardinals returned to the gridiron on September 4, 2010, and compiled a 5–6 record.

The return of football to Lamar University was in part due to a major donation from Beaumont-based law firm Provost Umphrey.

After a 1–4 start, LU closed the regular season by rattling off six straight wins to earn the program's first berth in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Over the years, both the men's and women's programs have had the highest average attendance in the Southland Conference—both play in the 10,080-seat Montagne Center.

The Cardinals baseball team leads the Southland Conference with ten regular-season titles and has participated in the NCAA Division I Regionals 13 times.

LUTV News is the weekly newscast produced by students in the Department of Communication at Lamar University.

[45] Several Cardinals have gone on to distinguish themselves nationally and internationally in sports, such as PGA Tour golfer Chris Stroud, MLB player Kevin Millar, and college coaches such as Billy Tubbs and Jim Gilligan.