The educational and political contributions of Mirabeau B. Lamar and his place in Texas history.
If you travel to Austin, Texas you will notice one of the main traffic areas is Lamar Boulevard, which runs north to south Austin. This boulevard is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar. According to various historical sources, Lamar was born Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar in Georgia and came to Texas, as many settlers did, in 1835. Lamar joined the army in response to the tragedy at the Alamo, where such heroes as Jim Bowie, William Barret Travis and Davy Crockett lost their lives. The massacre at the Alamo prompted many men to join the cause to fight General Santa Anna, and Lamar rose through the ranks quickly due to his intelligence and bravery. One of the highlights of his military career was when he commanded the army in the well-known Battle of San Jacinto.
Unlike many of today's politicians, Lamar's military career launched his political career. After the war, Texas had become a republic unto itself and the first election was held in 1836. Two years later during the next election, Lamar became President of the Republic of Texas. He was a central figure in establishing Austin as the capital of Texas.
Lamar's life was more than luck and glory however, early in his career he lost his wife and daughter to illness and went through dark periods of depression over this loss, although he was able to recover adequately to go on to make serving his country his focus. He eventually did remarry later in life, but legend has it that he never got over losing his first wife and daughter.
One of Lamar's main contributions was in the way of education for the state of Texas. As many living in the Texas frontier were in desperate need of education, Lamar made educational progress for Texas his priority. Various educational institutions are named after Mirabeau B. Lamar, as a tribute to his passion for education, as is Lamar Boulevard in Austin a tribute to his work to establish the state capital.
