Class of 1951 Vietnam veteran Don Hughes Sr. donated $4 million to the restoration of Military Walk. The plan was presented by President Elsa A. Murano to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Jan. 22.
“The idea of restoring Military Walk was initiated by [former A&M president Robert] Gates several years ago, and I promised him I would do all that I could to make this important project become a reality…I could not be more delighted by this outcome, and I can assure you that Dr. Gates is also very pleased,” Murano said.
When first paved, Military Walk was used as the Corps’ pathway to Sbisa Dining Hall. After a plaque was designed for the walk, thousands of Aggies have walked by without realizing the significance of the tradition.
“Well, I know it’s the path that the Corps marched down every day for chow back when Sbisa was the only dining hall….As far as the plate in the ground? Well I couldn’t tell you why you shouldn’t walk across it other than it’s most likely a memorial to former Aggies who died in the wars and it’s just a sign of respect to not walk directly over it or on it,” said Taylor Gillespie, a sophomore communications major from outfit P-2.
Military Walk evolved from a dirt road in the early 1800s to a more narrow, paved walkway in the early 1900s to the present series of sidewalks laid in the 1970s.
Hughes said he wishes that the tradition was bigger with the Corps and hopes that the money will be used to renew the look of the walkway and build the tradition back up to how it used to be viewed: as the backbone of the school.
“I think it kind of brings back part of the old campus; gives you a view from Ags of the traditional Corps…it reinstates the spirit of the school,” he said.
Murano said that once completed, Military Walk will be an important north to south link between Sbisa Dining Hall and the renovated and expanded Memorial Student Center.
“It will pay a well-deserved tribute to Texas A&M’s military heritage, while also providing a tangible history to students, faculty, staff and visitors of the early buildings that once lined the walk,” Murano said.
Hughes said he hopes Military Walk and its tradition will encourage the younger people to participate in the Corps to build up their character and leadership.
“I cannot adequately express how much I appreciate this generous gift from Mr. Hughes,” Murano said, “to not only restore Military Walk, but to elevate its place in Texas A&M’s history for future generations of Aggies.”