Haynes Ring Plaza - The Aggie Ring Writ Large

A stop on Texas A&M Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Before you rises a bronze Aggie Ring 12 feet tall and weighing about 6,500 pounds. It was unveiled on September 18, 2009, during Aggie Ring Day festivities at the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center, home of the Association of Former Students. The class year on its crest is 1946, honoring Harold J. Haynes of that class and his wife Reta, lead donors to the alumni center's expansion. Hidden inside the crest is a time capsule meant to be opened in 2046.

The ring tradition reaches back to 1889, when the first rings carried the letters of the Agricultural and Mechanical College. E. C. Jonas of the Class of 1894 designed a ring with many of the symbols still used today, and after a dispute over a redesign, university president Thomas Walton standardized it in 1933.

Today students receive their rings on Ring Day, held several times a year, and the moment is one of the proudest in an Aggie's college years. Look closely at the crest and band to find the symbols each wearer carries.

Getting here: Walk south along the Quad for about 8 minutes to the Alumni Center, where the giant ring stands on its plaza.

Did you know?: Although the replica was only installed in 2009, it has quickly become one of the most photographed spots on campus.

Photo op: Stand a few steps in front of the ring and have a friend shoot low so the crest towers over you.

More on Wikipedia: Texas A&M ring · The Association of Former Students

Haynes Ring Plaza - The Aggie Ring Writ Large

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