Ive been lucky enough to have a very old piece of A&M memorablia fall into my possesion. I was hoping someone one here would be able to tell me something about the team, players, coach etc related to the item. I cant imagine there are to many others floating around. Its obviously tied to the 1925 SWC Champion Aggies (7-1-1), but outside of that, I dont know anything about it. The only thing that seems to stand out is that the term 'Gig'em' is tranditionally linked with Pinky Downs & the 1930 TCU game, and not any date before then (ie 1925). Thoughts?



[This message has been edited by JHNichols (edited 7/12/2010 3:16p).]

I can't offer any historic help, but me likey. Very cool piece.

I can not say much about the 1925 team, but they must have improved from 1923

...both grandparents on my mother's side went to Rice and were there at this game. They gave this to my dad (Class of '60) and he has given it to me. He gave it to me as a teenager, I don't think he liked it very much. I just thought it was cool to see a more glorious pennant from the same time period.

I wish mine represented something other than a loss to Rice!!

[This message has been edited by trainsAGGIE (edited 7/12/2010 5:23p).]

both of those are very cool.

http://www.fanbase.com/Texas-AM-Aggies-Football-1925/roster

http://www.fanbase.com/Texas-AM-Aggies-Football-1925/schedule

http://www.fanbase.com/110870-1925-11-26/photo/189951?n=0

http://www.fanbase.com/Texas-AM-Aggies-Football-1925

Wow!!!! Check THIS out from the 1925 roster.
First Asian student at A&M.


http://www.fanbase.com/Taro-Kishi

I've heard multiple explanations of "Gig 'Em." The one I heard most as a student (from ct friends) was that it came from gig lines.

Evolving traditions?

That photo is quite interesting...anyone notice the stadium?

And please no references to the Zone, turf, track, etc.

Thanks for the info. That poster helps explain the unique font. I need to get this framed.

quote:

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I've heard multiple explanations of "Gig 'Em." The one I heard most as a student (from ct friends) was that it came from gig lines.

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I heard that, too, but I think the better explanation is when one gigs a frog, i.e., sticks a gig pole through it.

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



[This message has been edited by ag-bq-seventy (edited 7/13/2010 10:53a).]

This is from Trad. Co. Interesting how this says coined in 1930... seems to be a bit late.

It 
is 
the 
universal 
sign
 of 
approval 
for 
Aggies.
 Coined 
by 
P.L. 
"Pinkie" 
Downs, 
Class 
of 
1906, 
when 
at 
a 
Yell
Practice 
before
 the
 1930 
TCU
 football 
game 
Downs 
asked, "What 
are
 we 
going
 to 
do
 with
 those 
Horned
 Frogs?"
 and
answered,
"Gig’ Em 
Aggies!"
 (from
 frog
 hunting). 
For 
emphasis
he
 made
 a 
fist 
with 
his 
thumb 
extended 
up.
 It
 was 
the 
first 
hand 
sign 
of 
the 
SWC 
for 
25
 years 
until 
t.u.
 copied 
the 
idea 
from
 the 
Aggies 
and created 
their 
Hook
’em
 Horns.


A gig, now called cuts in inspections in the CoC, was something wrong with your uniform or room inspection.

I've heard older U.S. Army guys use the term gig. "Don't get gigged on an inspection"

A gig line is still used too.

A gig is used as a uniform inspection term. The inspecting Officer walks the line of men looking at his uniform. As he inspects the uniform, when a gig is found he uses his thumb. Every time the thumb is used the XO or Executive Officer has a clip board and counts how many times he uses his thumb. To show how many gigs in ones uniform it has.

just my 2 cents.

If you want facts....

Find a way to get in touch with Dr. Henry Dethloff. He's a retired History prof. at A&M and is arguably THE authority on A&M History.

One other thing....framing may not be the best way to preserve it. It can trap moisture or other bad things which may harm it.

A&M has an artifact conservation lab, maybe someone there could help you on that one.

eATMup, that Taro Kishi story is very cool

first off,

Im very jealous of that pennant.

Second, Gig Em predates the 1930 story and your pennant for that matter.


It appears as early as 1919 in an issue of the Longhorn. thats the earliest I have seen it but its possible it was around prior to that.

quote:

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A gig is used as a uniform inspection term. The inspecting Officer walks the line of men looking at his uniform. As he inspects the uniform, when a gig is found he uses his thumb. Every time the thumb is used the XO or Executive Officer has a clip board and counts how many times he uses his thumb. To show how many gigs in ones uniform it has.

just my 2 cents.

---

Thank you. I get so sick of that ridiculous TCU frog gigging story I could scream.

also let me take this time to stress that everyone check out cushing library.


it is a wealth of info about A&M and you will learn stuff you never knew about it there.

downright awesome

quote:

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Thank you. I get so sick of that ridiculous TCU frog gigging story I could scream.

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So you mean the official explanation on the term "Gig'em" is incorrect? The school got it all wrong?

quote:

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So you mean the official explanation on the term "Gig'em" is incorrect? The school got it all wrong?

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Well, either the official story is wrong, or the pennant is a fake.

so......

The pennant is my great-grandfathers (Graduated just before WWI). He was either clss of '16 or '17. First it went to my grandfather (Originally class of '47), then my father (class 74), and now to me (class of 09). We have family pictures from the early 30's of it hanging next to my great great grandfathers diploma (still have it too). The pennant has also been inventoried and certified by both A&M and 3rd party handlers, and after contacting A&M about the item, I feel much better about its authenticity.

[This message has been edited by JHNichols (edited 7/14/2010 7:14a).]

a&m has a department that "inventories and certifies" memorabilia?

quote:

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So you mean the official explanation on the term "Gig'em" is incorrect? The school got it all wrong?

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yes. in fact they get things wrong all the time.

I have an A&M All Conference / All State Medal from 1915. It's sweet.

cool item. Cherish it, as it is a very rare item.

Pennants from that era fetch several hundred $$$ on ebay.

The "Gig'em" story from 1930 explains the creation of the hand signal, over time it seems many have assumed Downs also came up with the term "Gig'em". The wording of the story needs to be tweaked to make sure Downs gets credit for the hand gesture, but not the actual term.

again, an argument could be made that the hand signal was prior to that year as well.

Now I will say this, the year before this story takes place, is the first year the gig em yell appears in the yell book.

Id donate it to A&M before I sold it on Ebay. I cant imagine there are to many from the same era in existance. Plus, its nice that it ties to a successful season. Any ideas on what A&M might do with it if its donated?

goes to the archive and might be loaned to the athletic museum or the corps center.

You could donate it to the Corps of Cadets Center. They have a museum where it could be displayed and a museum curator that takes care of historical artifacts.

quote:

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The "Gig'em" story from 1930 explains the creation of the hand signal, over time it seems many have assumed Downs also came up with the term "Gig'em". The wording of the story needs to be tweaked to make sure Downs gets credit for the hand gesture, but not the actual term.

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+1

I'm not entirely sure he created the hand signal either.


[This message has been edited by nai06 (edited 7/14/2010 10:33a).]

okay, so early students wanted a sort of "war cry," so they chanted a version of "give 'em demerits!"

I'm not buying it.

Saying the phrase came about in the 1910s is not the same as saying it must refer to uniform inspections and not the common practice of varmint hunting with a mini-harpoon.