Mirabeau B. Lamar

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Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar

Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (August 16, 1798 – December 19, 1859) was the third president of the Republic of Texas.

Lamar was born on near Louisville, Georgia in Jefferson County, Georgia. During his early adult years, he started and ran a successful newspaper in Columbus, Georgia, known as the Columubus Ledger. Before heading to Texas, he sold his newspaper company, and used the proceeds to finance his trip out west. This paper still exists as a Knight-Ridder publication and is currently the major daily newspaper of the Columbus area.

He moved to Texas in 1835. His term as President of Texas began in December of 1838 and he served until 1841.

Lamar was a fierce opponent of fellow Texan Sam Houston. Houston and Lamar had different views on virtually every topic relating to the development of the new Republic, from finances to dealing with Texas Native Americans (of which he favored eradication) to the Annexation of Texas into the United States (which he opposed). Lamar secured recognition of Texas by several European countries. He founded the capital of the Republic of Texas in Austin, even though at the time, Austin was at the western edge of settlement and dangerously exposed to attacks from the Penateka Comanche. Lamar was extremely eager to pull settlement westward. He even had his eyes on the far Pacific. His vision was of a Republic of Texas that rivaled the United States for control of North America.

Lamar is also known for his setting aside public domains for public schools, and he is widely regarded as the "Father of Education in Texas." Many cities in Texas have schools named after him, including Lamar University in Beaumont, Lamar High School in Houston, and Lamar Consolidated High School in Richmond . Some of the lands that he set aside for public education was that of present day University of Texas and A&M.

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