Background Statement
The history of the College is intertwined with the story of the LCC Foundation. The College was created in 1937 by concerned community members, civic organizations, business owners, and local leaders to give the impoverished region's young people a local postsecondary educational option. It was kept alive because the region believed in the college and its mission.
In 1973, concerned community members realized the need for organized support for the College and its students by providing additional scholarships and funding to move the College forward. The Lamar Community College Development Corporation became a 501(c)(3) in 1974 and was run by an all-volunteer staff and board for its first 20+ years. The Foundation was staffed by a part-time director for another 20+ years. Most of this time, the Foundation concentrated its efforts on fundraising for annual scholarships.
In 2012, LCC's president recommended that the Board hire a full-time director to give the position additional opportunities to build relationships, solicits contributions, engage the Board in the work of the Foundation, and administer many of the activities. He recognized that the Foundation was pivotal to the College's ability to build itself and grow. Since that time, the Foundation has begun to flourish and has become a true resource to the College.
In 2016, the Foundation hit another milestone by partnering with the College to build a new residence hall. Prowers House now gives additional on-campus housing capacity and signals a new era of opportunities for the Foundation and LCC.
The Foundation is now completing additional off-campus housing with the Main Street Student Housing project. As of September 2023, renovations of the new housing are ongoing. A new Student Lounge is being added and will soon be complete.