In 1956, A&M had a drastically different face. During the class’ years at A&M, Reveille II was top dog and had ten puppies, which several freshmen from the Class of 1956 swore were fathered by an upperclassman cadet.
All freshmen lived on the north side and only 42 Aggies were not cadets. These men did not go to Texas A&M University; rather, they attended Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Nearly 240 members of the Class of 1956 presented a class gift Wednesday night at the College Station Hilton, kicking off the class’ 50-year reunion. The Class Gift project has raised more than $135,250 to recognize student workers.
Since graduation, the class has donated more than $7,049,000 in gifts to the school, including an endowment this year to celebrate its 50th anniversary, said Don Powell, Class of 1956, said.
Headed by Bill Huskey, Class of 1956 and Class Gift committee chairman, the program received contributions from members of the class in order to fund the Student Worker Awards Program. The program will support two student workers every year with the initial endowment.
The class received donations from former students and a large percentage of the donations were given in honor or in memory of a former student, Huskey said. About one in three college students is working, he said.
“We want to provide a rather generous award at the end of two undergraduates’ careers so that the students can work a little bit less, graduate a little bit sooner and start contributing back to the University,” Huskey said.
The gift project began as the class explored ideas to commemorate 50 years as Aggie graduates, Huskey said. Recipients must be juniors or seniors, have a 3.0 GPR and be student workers who work 15 to 20 hour per week, he said.
“Every class can give what they want to give,” said Gil Velasquez, Class of 1996 and coordinator of class programs. “They work towards the goal, and dedicate the gift. The class gift does not always have to be an endowment. In the past it has been in the form of statues, monuments, renovations and campus improvements.”
Each class donates multiple gifts through its four elected class agents, Velasquez said. 1956 is a particularly active class of former students due to its small size and military focus, he said.
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 1956 started with 1,684 students. Around 685 of those students graduated and 570 were directly commissioned into the military on May 24, 1956.
“The job of the Association of Former Students is to help Aggies connect in a way that is meaningful,” said Paul Pausky, Class of 1978 and director of Former Student Programs. “It’s amazing how many of these guys served in the military together. When you look at the directory, the list reads ‘Colonel, Major, Colonel, General.’ These guys went to school together and served together.”