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Lehman College became an independent unit of The City University of New York, CUNY, in 1968 and took over the 37-acre campus that had served since 1931 as the Bronx branch of Hunter College for women completing their first two years of college. Lehman is the now the only public, comprehensive, senior college in the Bronx.  

Prior to its separation from Hunter College, the Lehman campus had served as from 1943-1946 and the training station for the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). The United Nations then used the campus from March - August 1946 and held its first American meetings of the Security Council in the campus Gymnasium Building.

With the resumption of normal collegiate activities in 1947, the Bronx campus began accepting former servicemen, who studied in separate classes. In 1951 the campus became fully co-educational and introduced a four-year curriculum. When the Bronx campus separated from Hunter College on July 1, 1968 Lehman College began an independent existence with Dr. Lief as president.

The new college was named for Herbert H. Lehman--four-time governor of New York State; U.S. Senator from New York; and the first director-general of UNRRA (the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). The College was formally dedicated March 28, 1969.

Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández succeeded founding president Leonard Lief on September 1, 1990. The College today offers 50 undergraduate majors and programs, almost 40 graduate degree programs, and 15 advanced certificates in such areas as botany, arts and sciences, health, business, teacher education, and nursing.