Looking to give back after his time at Texas A&M, a former yearbook editor has set up an endowment for the Aggieland Yearbook to support journalism and student media.
Named for the former editor and his wife, the Dr. Bob ‘49 and Chris Williamson Aggieland Yearbook Endowment is set to start in the 2019 school year, providing funding to help the yearbook and its staff grow. At the time Bob Williamson was editor, A&M’s yearbook was called the Longhorn.
“When I was co-editor, it helped me out a lot to get my education,” Bob said. “I just wanted the chance to pay them back a little.”
Bob Williamson, alongside co-editor Henry John, was a part of the last staff under the name Longhorn.
In 1949, students voted to switch to a name they believed would be more fitting for the book. Suggestions included “Reveille,” “Twelfth Man,” “Final Review,” “Bonfire” and “The Spirit of Aggieland,” but the name “Aggieland” won out.
Bob said he didn’t mind the name change, and he looks forward to the yearbook’s future.
“Oh, I didn’t care,” Bob said. “People have asked me since then ‘why was it named the Longhorn?’ and I couldn’t give them a definite answer. I think the Aggieland is a nice name. It’s good to know that it’s still surviving.”
Anthony Pangonas, editor-in-chief of the Aggieland Yearbook since 2016, said the endowment is great way to help the staff and the book grow.
“I definitely cannot thank Dr. Bob and Chris Williamson enough for their generosity,” Pangonas said. “It is a great way to provide more opportunities for Aggieland, such as travel to journalism conferences to learn more and grow as journalists.”