Dr. Harmon Luther Lowman came to Sam Houston State in 1941 and was the president until his death in 1964. Lowman was born in 1894 in Staples. He attended Washington and Lee University in Virginia, then enlisted in the army on the second day of World War I. He attained the rank of first lieutenant. Afterwards, he taught school and finished his education with a bachelor's degree at Southwest Texas State Teachers College, and a master's degree from the University of Texas. He continued on with his education receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Dr. Lowman was the first president to have an earned doctorate. The campus physical plant grew dramatically during his tenure as president. His political clout enabled the university to secure an air conditioning plant. This gave Sam Houston the claim as the first completely air-conditioned campus in the world. He secured Country Campus, which had been a World War II POW Camp, for only one dollar from the federal government.

The physical plant of the school expanded rapidly during the Lowman presidency, especially in areas of residence halls and instructional facilities, and the enrollment exceeded 5,000 during the 1963-64 academic year.

Dr. Lowman once said "I had rather be president of Sam Houston State than president of the United States."

 A donation may be made in President Harmon L. Lowman's honor to: The Harmon Lowman Endowed Scholarship.