Class of '67 Celebrates 50 Year Anniversary

In conjunction with the annual Muster ceremony, The Association of Former Students hosts the 50th Anniversary Reunion for the honored Class. This year, members of the Class of 1967 were invited back to spend four days in Aggieland to commemorate the occasion and attend Muster together.

Over the course of April 19-22, the attendees split their time between visiting with each other at the Hilton hotel and meeting current students while being back on campus. The Reunion kicked off Wednesday evening with a welcome from Muster Committee liaison Helena Shakesby '19. An update on the current state of the Corps of Cadets was provided by Corps Commandant Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez, Jr. '79.

https://twitter.com/TAMUCommandant/status/855080998664642566

Thursday morning, the Class enjoyed breakfast with remarks from Porter S. Garner III '79, President and CEO of The Association of Former Students, who noted that he was hired in 1981 by their Classmate Randy Matson '67, Executive Director for The Association from 1980-2000. After hearing from Student Body Vice President Dan Rosenfield '17 and Corps Commander Cecille Sorio '17, Reunion attendees and their guests headed to campus for tours of redeveloped Kyle Field and recent additions to the Quad—featuring the Buzbee, Ash, and Plank Leadership Learning Centers, Starbucks aka "Quadbucks" and new landscaping. Thursday evening they were joined at the Hilton by Phil Miner '80, Chair of the Board for The Association, and Chancellor John Sharp '72.

Rising early Friday morning, Classmates assembled on campus to watch the entire Corps march into and out of Academic Plaza for the silent flag-raising formation, and had the opportunity to visit the MSC Reflections Display before taking a traditional Class photo on the steps of the Jack K. Williams Administration Building. The Camaraderie Barbecue, organized by the Aggie Muster Committee, allowed the Class of 1967 to enjoy an outdoor meal with current students on the Kyle Field Northeast Plaza and featured entertainment from Fish Drill Team, the Femmatas, the yell leaders, the Aggie Wranglers, and the Kappa Pickers. Following the barbecue, attendees were escorted on a bus tour led by current students to see how the campus has changed.

From the attendees:
“Muster BBQ was great ... loved talking to current cadets at our table!”
“Muster BBQ was a great treat, especially with the Fish Drill Team. And the Aggie Wranglers were totally fantastic!”
“Very special moment of my life to return to Texas A&M and feel so welcomed by the students.”

Friday evening, the Class gathered at Reed Arena with 17,000 others in attendance, where they had reserved floor seating for the campus Muster ceremony to hear from speaker and Classmate Eddie J. Davis '67, former president of the Texas A&M Foundation. Nineteen names of members of the Class of 1967 were called on the roll, and each was met with a resounding "Here" as the voices boomed in answering for the fallen together.

Saturday morning, the group heard from Texas A&M President Michael K. Young before departing for the weekend. Young spoke of the impressiveness of the university's current students and highlighted some of the innovative steps the faculty, staff, and students at Texas A&M are taking to impact the world.

Read The Battalion's article featuring comments from Class Agents Mickey Batsell '67 and Terrell Mullins '67 and watch a series of videos of the Classmates' recollections of their time on campus as compiled by the Aggie Muster Committee.

Photo source: Aggie Muster Facebook.
From the attendees:
“The student body was helpful, friendly, and a credit to Texas A&M.”
“The world is going to be in good shape because of the work done at Texas A&M and the students being prepared for that task.”
“We really appreciate your efforts in connecting current students with us. They are A&M’s biggest selling point."
“All speakers were outstanding – impressive students!”

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The Association of Former Students' former student programs team assists the volunteer Class Agents in their Reunion planning efforts and provides staff support for multiple Classes throughout the year. Check AggieNetwork.com/Reunions for the entire schedule.