Lost Ring Found, With A Longhorn's Help

The Aggie Ring is a symbol of pride and prestige amongst all Aggies that have been fortunate enough to have earned one in their time at Texas A&M. Countless generations have worn this  ring as a daily reminder of the standard they hold themselves to as members of this prestigious university.

I remember being in awe of the gold ring engraved ’88 which adorned my father’s finger all through my childhood. He shared countless stories of what the ring symbolized, of what an excellent networking tool it was as a student or a graduate. Even when traveling, whether it was abroad or domestically, it was spotted amongst other Aggies, standing as a sign of solidarity and community. I’ve seen the power of this ring everywhere we’ve travelled to, and it remained a goal for me to follow in my father’s footsteps by earning my own as a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2014. 

Over this past Thanksgiving break, we decided to meet in Dallas with an extended group of family and friends. Due to work, my father met with us later, driving straight from our family businesses in College Station to the Anatole Hotel in Dallas, and leaving immediately following Thanksgiving Day. Rarely does my father remove his Aggie ring unless taking a shower or going to sleep, however, that night before leaving back for work the ring was left in the hotel safe. By the time we had noticed it missing we had all gone back home. Frantically looking through possible places he may have left it, we called the hotel to inquire about the ring. At this point, we were heartbroken; my father who held the ring dear for over 26 years was nearly devastated. Months passed and plans were being made to order a new ring. I remained hopeful, having heard countless stories of recovered rings that were returned to their owners as much as 10 years after losing it. My dad was much more skeptical. Having lost the ring in a huge city such as Dallas, and at one of the most frequented hotels by non-Texans nonetheless, he was sure the ring was gone for good. 

That was until this past February. Grief struck our family early that month. My grandfather had fallen ill, and passed away on February 14th after a long and healthy 88 years. Although never an attendee of Texas A&M, he was the proudest Aggie dad and grandfather a person could ask for. With so much on his mind and a constant emotional roller-coaster surrounding him, my father had neglected to check his E-mail that week. A few days passed and after taking some time to return to normalcy, he finally opened up his email. What he came across was nothing short of a small blessing in a troublesome time. 

The email included a number, and read:

“A friend of mine has found your Aggie ring. Give me a call.” signed Scott Eberhart '74. 

It wasn’t until later that the whole family had found out about this E-mail. Though we were overjoyed that we had finally found the ring, it was the way it was found that gave us a little more reason to smile.

A graduate from our rival school down in Austin happened to locate the ring while in Dallas exactly where we assumed my father had left it! (Apparently, the hotel staff did not look thoroughly enough.) Because his friend, Mr. Eberhart (the man mentioned above) was an Aggie, this kind Longhorn understood the significance of this ring and knew how precious it was to the Aggie community. He then gave the ring to him. Upon receiving it, Mr. Eberhart kindly made the effort to find my father on the Association of Former Students website and the rest was history. 

At the end of February the ring was returned, and so was the history and sentimental value which it meant to my dad and our family. I wanted to take the time to publicly express this gratitude on behalf of my father and our family to Mr. Eberhart and the friendly Longhorn who understood the significance of the Ring and it’s time honored tradition. This goes to show that the values of the Aggie Network extend not only between Aggies, but to those who know and understand our unique traditions and culture. 

To them, I can proudly say:  

Thanks and gig 'em! 

Damen C. Smien '14,

Son of Louis C. Smien '88