A Little Ring Made Of Gold

More than 3,000 students received their Aggie Rings on Friday! The Aggie Ring is the most visible symbol of the Aggie Network that connects Aggies around the world. Every Aggie has their own story about the Aggie Ring. Here is one Amy Clark '06 (photographed on the right) wanted to share:

A Little Ring Made Of Gold
By Amy Clark '06

"Every time I visit an airport, I scan the droves of travelers, and every time, without fail, I am able to spot at least one Aggie Ring in the crowd. The unique band of gold, which is the most recognized symbol of Texas A&M University, is the ultimate embodiment of the tradition and history that is so deeply rooted in the Aggie Spirit. My own Ring Day was one of the most important milestones of my life; even more so than the day I walked the stage at Reed Arena. I received my own Aggie Ring on September 23, 2005, the same day Hurricane Rita destroyed the Texas coast, but Aggieland, roughly 150 miles north, didn’t feel a drop of rain.

The Aggie Ring, first introduced in 1889, is the ultimate goal of every Aggie that steps foot on A&M’s campus, sometimes even more so than their diploma. In 1894 the Ring was redesigned by E.C. Jonas ’94, and has had the same basic design for every Aggie owner since, the only change being the Class year. Ironically made in Austin, Texas, Texas A&M University is Balfour’s largest client, crafting nearly 10,000 Aggie Rings per year, “four times as many as Notre-Dame, A&M’s closest competitor."

Last April marked A&M history when approximately 3,800 Aggies anxiously gathered to receive their Rings; a number I predict that will continue to increase. Three times a year, Rings are distributed at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr Alumni Center, and if you have never had the opportunity to visit its expansive Ring collections, I highly suggest you add it to your bucket-list. A personal favorite is the Aggie Ring collection started by J.B. “Josh” Sterns, Class of 1899, who wrote over 4,000 letters to former students asking them to donate their Rings to be part of a collection—collecting one for each Class year. The only exception is the Class of ’95; where there are two Rings displayed together, a husband and wife who died in an automobile accident.

Behind every Ring is an incredible story to be told, and it’s in these stories that we are able to connect so vividly with the Aggies who have walked before us. I was extremely touched when I read a story submitted to The Association of Former Students website by Bob Palmer '69, who lost his Aggie Ring while serving in Vietnam. After returning home from his tour, he made a trip to College Station to replace his Ring. Shortly thereafter, he received a letter from The Association informing him that his original Aggie Ring had been returned.
 
Another Aggie had noticed a man wearing an A&M ring and asked when he had graduated. The fellow replied that he had never attended Texas A&M and had bought the ring from one of the Vietnamese maids. The Aggie reimbursed him for the Ring and returned it to the Former Students Association.
 
By the time I finished reading this story to a co-worker, I couldn’t fight back the tears anymore. Not being an Aggie herself, she had no idea why the story had tugged so closely at my heartstrings. It’s hard to explain to an outsider the significance of the Aggie Ring, and the golden bond that so neatly ties each of us to one another, but as Bob Palmer put it, 'that my Ring found its way home is not astonishing to Aggies.'
  
Bob’s story is a true testament to what it means to be an Aggie. Many an outsider is baffled at the love and compassion we have for our fellow Aggie long after we step foot off-campus, but as every Aggie knows, 'From the outside looking in you can’t understand it, from the inside looking out you can’t explain it.'

In 1999, when the Bonfire stack collapsed, Jeff Whitting ’00 left his own Aggie Ring at the Academic Plaza memorial site in remembrance of the 12 Aggies who lost their lives, many of whom would never get the chance to receive their own.  Several Aggies followed in Jeff’s generous footsteps placing their own Rings at the Academic Plaza. Eventually, all of the Rings were returned to their respective owners—except one: a man’s class of 1983 Ring, in which the engraving had been scratched out.

The anonymous Ring left for the fallen Aggies now resides at Texas A&M (at The Association of Former Students Alumni Center) amongst hundreds of other Rings inundated with their own stories to tell. Even though I was not technically an Aggie when Bonfire collapsed, this story exemplifies full circle what is ingrained in every Aggie’s heart: that you could never possibly give as much in return to The University for what it has given to you.

It’s been almost five years since the first day I slipped on that prestigious band of gold; not a day goes by that I don’t remember the laughter, the love, and the spirit that filled my years at A&M. I have remained planted, post-graduate, in the cozy little town of College Station since I walked the stage at Reed Arena in May of 2007. However, this past summer, I packed up my memories and left College Station to chase new opportunities outside the realm of Brazos County. As I made the final drive out of town on Highway 6, I glanced down at the shiny, gold band glittery on my right hand, and the words to Granger Smith’s song “We Bleed Maroon” played in my head, 
 
'There’s a place in my heart, a spirit ne’er be told. A little town on the Brazos, a little ring made of gold. I carry it with me, wherever I go, just to remember the times…'
 
The memories of my own history at Texas A&M unfold in my mind, and once again, tears begin to fall, knowing, no matter how far I go, I will forever be linked through the ring on my right hand. And when I return the sacred grounds of my old alma mater, amongst the sea of gold Rings, I know I’m home."