 Construction began with the laying of the cornerstone in 1930; on June 27, 1931, the courthouse was completed and had its grand opening, and the county's courts and offices moved in from the previous courthouse building.As the county continued to grow, substantial additions to the facility were made in 1958 and 1962.In 1946, an African-American law student named Heman Marion Sweatt was denied admission to the University of Texas School of Law on the grounds that the Constitution of Texas prohibited racially integrated education.