My father, Class of '55, wore his Aggie Ring on his left had when the Ags beat t.u. If they were out scored the next year, he would put on his wedding ring. Interesting 'tradition'. I did not follow suit...

I am Class of '86, and wear my Aggie Ring on my right hand and wedding on the left.

Lived in Puryear 88-89. The bunny was shoe-polished onto the side of the dome facing the Bell Tower when I was there. This is because the ladder on the outside of the dome is on that side and it's the only way you can get up onto the outer dome. That stunt ceased a few years later when they put motion detectors on the roof of the Academic Bldg. NEW ARMY!

I have actually been on the roof and up inside of the dome. You have to walk around the ledge on the outside of the 4th floor. You get on the ledge by exiting through a window in a 4th floor bathroom on the east side of the Academic Bldg. You shimmy around to the west side and up over the veranda onto the roof. There is a door at the base of the dome that let's you in. You can then open a door into the rotunda. That door can only be opened from the dome side. This allows you to let your less brave friends into the dome, where you can all scratch your names on the wall with all the other brave souls who have done so since 1912. My name is there with lots of others. Pretty cool stuff.



[This message has been edited by XUSCR (edited 6/29/2011 6:48p).]

[This message has been edited by XUSCR (edited 6/29/2011 6:49p).]

Don't forget about...

- Prexy's Moon
- The Smallest Cadet on Campus.
- The Champagne Glass.
- The IIII instead of IV at Albritton.


Did anybody mention the saber buried at Kyle?

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- The IIII instead of IV at Albritton.

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The reason for this one is completely made up. Most clocks do IIII. Good story anyway.

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Clock faces that are labeled using Roman numerals conventionally show IIII for four o'clock and IX for nine o'clock, using the subtractive principle in one case and not the other.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals

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Don't forget about...

- Prexy's Moon
- The Smallest Cadet on Campus.
- The Champagne Glass.
- The IIII instead of IV at Albritton.


Did anybody mention the saber buried at Kyle?

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Whoa. I know the Smallest Cadet on Campus is at that flagpole at the administration building but not the other ones. Can you explain Prexy's Moon, the champagne glass, and the saber buried at Kyle?

Prexy's Moon is the light on the dome of the Academic Building. I don't think they light it up anymore. I could be wrong.

The Champagne Glass is here....



See it?

Looks more like a wine glass or the middle of a banjo.

[This message has been edited by BQ78 (edited 7/5/2011 8:43a).]

You need to ask the Fish Pond Manager about the champagne glass.

Lost a lot of cush over this one...
Q: There are four trucks on campus that have never moved since being placed on campus...where are they?
A: In front of the Academic Building, in front of the Northgate Post Office, in front of the Administration Building and between Dorms 1 & 2.

Check your dictionary for the definition of truck and you'll find that it's the decoration at the top of a flagpole! Four flagpoles, hence four trucks, and they haven't moved since being placed on campus.

Prexy's Moon used to be a favorite target to shoot out. They quit lighting it up years ago.

There are still rumors of "hidden" rooms accessed only by the old steam tunnels under the Trigon and Quad that have yet to be discovered. Several of my buddies were amongst the infamous Tunnel Rats and Lord knows how many hours they spent down there searching for the lost Ark.

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The "basses" in the FTAB are actually sousaphones...tubas are large upright brass instruments that aren't readily suitable for marching bands...tubas are for concert band use...and both are considered bass instruments.

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Exactly correct.
This is a tuba:

This is a sousaphone:

Both the tuba and the sousaphone are "bass horns." Old school band arrangements are scored for "basses" or "bass horns," rather than "tuba."

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AND yes they don't refer to them as tubas because the word starts with "tu".

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Widely accepted, and a fun story, but the real reason they aren't called "tubas" is because they're not tubas. They are bass horns. The whole "Tuba contains t.u." thing was made up later and it caught on.

Aggies don't lie, cheat, or steal. Fact or fiction?

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During the preparation for the demolition of Guion Hall, a large flag was found on the back wall of the stage area. It was an over-sized version of the smaller flags that families put out to indicate they had family members serving overseas (blue stars for serving, gold stars for KIA). The flag had hundreds of stars on it - one for each Aggie who was known to be serving or KIA during WWII.

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I believe I found a photo of that flag int he 42 yearbook. The description lists it as a WWI tribute, Ill post it tomorrow when I get a good copy of it

There's an easy explanation for the flag discrepancies at Kyle :

The story is completely mythical.

The number of flags at Kyle hasn't even been consistent over the years and was never meant to memorialize anything. (This got fleshed out on the football board last year)

I'm not sure which came first - they myth that Kyle is a memorial or the myth that the flags are but its likely one grew out of the other.




[This message has been edited by It was Buckley (edited 7/23/2011 12:05a).]

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During the preparation for the demolition of Guion Hall, a large flag was found on the back wall of the stage area. It was an over-sized version of the smaller flags that families put out to indicate they had family members serving overseas (blue stars for serving, gold stars for KIA). The flag had hundreds of stars on it - one for each Aggie who was known to be serving or KIA during WWII.

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here what I found in the 42 yearbook.

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There's an easy explanation for the flag discrepancies at Kyle :The story is completely mythical.

The number of flags at Kyle hasn't even been consistent over the years and was never meant to memorialize anything. I'm not sure which came first - they myth that Kyle is a memorial or the myth that the flags are but its likely one grew out of the other.

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In the fall of 1954 my dad entered the A&M College of Texas. He is a member of the class of 1958, which happens to be 40 years after the end of WWI.

He was issued a book that I have in front of me: "Aggie Campusology 1954"

On page 3 we have the introduction to Famous Facts, and turning the page to page 4 we find famous fact question #6.

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How are the 52 Aggies killed in World War I commenorated?
answer: There are 52 trees, at the base of which are stone markers, around the Main Drill Field; there are 52 flags flying over Kyle Field at each football game; and there is a granite memorial at the West Gate.

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As far as the playboy bunny, I was on campus for final review this year and did not see it. But I do recall a very faint outline as late as spring '07, possibly into '08 sometime.

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I was there from fall 97 to fall 01 and I remember it popping up on the east side of the dome (facing Cushing) at some point in my tenure there. It was a big talking point when it did, but I can't remember exactly what year it happened.

Does a book exist that houses such myths/legends?

I realize the campusology says that. Do you realize it isn't a history book? Notice the conflicting numbers from that book right here in this thread?

Again, hashed out last year and we haven't even had a CONSISTENT number of flags at Kyle. This is the same as kyle being a memorial. People insist it its because they have always been told it is despite no evidence existing that it is.

There have also been conflicting numbers of MOH recipients. If records were updated/found/etc then the number could change. Also, it's not hard to add places for a flag.



It's just another Corps trip boys, we'll march in behind the band.

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I realize the campusology says that. Do you realize it isn't a history book?

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Every bit of information, both A&M official site and other sites state that the 55 flags represent the 55 Aggies killed in WW I.

I want to say that I heard or read somewhere years ago that the original number of flags was 52 or 53, but several years after the war a couple 2 or 3 were finally confirmed KIA, so the number now stands at 55.

Somebody pointed out earlier in this thread about the MOH winners - there was 8 at one time, but the veracity of whether or not one of them actually attended A&M was called into question, and A&M could not find an official record of him, so they don't recognize him as an Aggie MOH winner, which is why the official number sits at 7 (for WW II). That's actually a cool story that I had never heard up until this point.

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People insist it its because they have always been told it is despite no evidence existing that it is.

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Kyle is a living memorial to the Aggies that died in World War 1. It was dedicated as such after the war. The MSC had not been built yet (and wouldn't be built for 20 more years) and at the time this was the campus memorial center. When the MSC was funded and constructed, it officially took over as the campus memorial to Aggies that gave their lives in combat for their country, and included all wars past and future.

It is not a memorial in the traditional sense, and it's true that the rules regarding wearing hats, walking on the field, etc. morphed into something completely different over the decades.

http://msclivingtradition.tamu.edu/CaseStatementWEB.pdf

http://sports-venue.info/NCAAF/Kyle_Stadium.html

article from August 96 Texas Aggie Magazine

http://libraryasp.tamu.edu/cushing/collectn/univarch/texag/articles/96/august.html


It was never made a memorial although plans were in place to do so.

Nai06 - Good catch on the WWI memorial vs WWII memorial flag in Guion hall. It was displayed on campus for a while and then, most likely, placed into the archives for safe keeping. It would be a nice addition to the Simpson Corps Center if they had the room to display it but it is HUGE as you can see from the pictures in the year book.

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Does a book exist that houses such myths/legends?

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If you can find a copy, read "Aggies, Ya'll Caught That Damned Ol' Rat Yet?" It has some interesting and oft funny tales in it. I didn't know about "white rattin'" rooms until I read the book. It will give you insight into campus life and how some of the things may have come about if you have a good imagination. But, no it isn't a list of myths, etc. but is a good compilation of short stories by the author circa 40's and 50's.

http://www.amazon.com/Aggies-Yall-caught-that-dam/dp/0811103544
Amazon.com comment: This is a great book, I believe now out of print, that talks about the history of the Texas A&M Aggies from start until a little after WWII. It explains a lot of the traditions, some no longer followed - written by a Houston lawyer. A good read, especially is you have an Aggie in the family. Gig 'em!


[This message has been edited by Lee72 (edited 7/22/2011 3:32p).]

Schmelba - Kyle was NEVER dedicated as a memorial. NEVER. Notice there are NO plaques anywhere stating it was a memorial? Notice people claiming it is can NEVER produce any verifiable evidence of it?

It's made up.


As for the flags,http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=1742108&forum_id=5&page=last

Not only are the flags not there as a memorial, we HAVE NOT ALWAYS HAD THE SAME NUMBER.

I realize because of our culture it's difficult for people to let go of things like this but being in some book the corps prints does not mean something is factual.

Our history is full of things like this that get handed down and eventually become unquestionable. A huge amount of A&M lore simply isn't true.

[This message has been edited by It was Buckley (edited 7/23/2011 12:07a).]

It like the 12th Man

It didnt exactly start with E.K. Gill. As best as I can tell credit is owed to a unknown writer for the Batt magazine.

Oh now you've gone and done it.

Buckley, you keep saying the flags around kyle Field are a myth, but I proved that in 1953 cadets knew that the flags fly in recognition of those that died in WWI.

As a fish in 1983 we were taught that 55 flags fly around Kyle Field in recognition of those Aggies that died in WWI.

You may not recognize campusology as a true history, but for thousands of Cadets, who are the keepers of tradition, we believe it to be true and worthy to be maintained.

the biggest problem is that even through the course of history, the number of flags didnt always equal 55.

Regardless, kyle field itself is not a memorial

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but I proved that in 1953 cadets knew that the flags fly in recognition of those that died in WWI.

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So it's not possible for the campusology to be mitaken?

You really think the facts that are handed out to the corps are infallible, ESPECIALLY at a school known for a rich lore and verbal history?

We have very different standards of evidence then.

Did you even bother reading the thread I linked to? Can you show us a picture of Kyle in the 30s with that many flags? (I'll save you some time, you can't because there were not.)

is it an established fact that 55 aggies died during wwi?

When I was learning campusology, it was 52. Since been upped to 55, through recent discoveries, I would think.

(Whoops, just realized I had two 52s. Changed the second to 55)

Are there still plaques on the trees around the Simpson Drill Field? Some were missing in my day, but it was heart-rending to walk around the field and read the names and places of death: Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry. Some said merely aeroplane or submarine.


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 7/25/2011 8:22p).]

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Schmelba - Kyle was NEVER dedicated as a memorial. NEVER. Notice there are NO plaques anywhere stating it was a memorial? Notice people claiming it is can NEVER produce any verifiable evidence of it?

It's made up.

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Actually, west gate does have a memorial inscribed in it:

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"In recognition of the splendid participation by the A. & M. College in the World War, and of the heroic sacrifices made by her sons, this memorial is given by the classes of 1923, '24, '25, and '26."

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But, like was pointed out, it was never officially dedicated by the school as a memorial. I read a couple of the articles wrong. Apparently the idea was floated, but never formalized, and then the MSC came along.

As to the flags, you are basing your assertion on the opinion of 2 posters on another thread? I'm basing mine on the official documentation from the school. Either one may be wrong, they may both be wrong. But until the school comes out and formally changes the meaning of 55 American flags at Kyle, anything else is just opinion.

And seriously - you are questioning the number of flags discrepancy? You do realize that until a member of the military is confirmed as a KIA, they are listed as MIA, and one can be killed in combat but listed as MIA for years after the fact, correct? This is WW I we are talking about - formal records weren't exactly the norm for the day, so finding out additional information about a single person out of millions that perished during the war a few decades later is not uncommon.

There is nothing written that ONLY 55 flags shall ever fly at Kyle for the rest of history. Only that 55 flags represent the 55 Aggies that were confirmed KIA's during the war. Nothing more, nothing less.

But, I digress - you will continue to believe what you want, I'll continue to use the official literature until it states otherwise.