Behind each Aggie Ring is a story, one that tells of the long and difficult road the wearer traveled to achieve the golden symbol of success for their time as a student at Texas A&M. 
For some, that story transcends themselves, as the rings they wear so proudly were passed down from Aggies of years gone by. 
For Glenn Hudson III, Class of 1985, it was important to continue the legacy of his father, Glenn Hudson Jr., Class of 1943. Plus, it saved some money.
“Basically we were just being cheap, to be honest. It was less money we had to spend to get a college education, and my dad wasn’t wearing his ring anymore,” Hudson III said. “We melted down the ring, and it has Class of ’85 on it. And then on the inside it says Glenn Hudson Jr. Class of ’43 and Glenn Hudson III Class of ’85.”
Hudson Jr. was older than many of the parents of his son’s classmates. Being a young, able-bodied man in the early 1940s, he was called into service in Japan to serve on the front lines during World War II.
“If you were due to graduate in May of 1943, they graduated you early, in December of 1942, because they needed people with some sort of military background,” Hudson III said. “He went home to San Antonio, and then that night the military called him and told him to be at the train station the next morning.”
Hudson III said the ring he now wears was probably responsible for keeping his father safe, and therefore able to start a family once he returned home. On his first day in the country, a general spotted Hudson Jr.’s Aggie Ring, which sparked a conversation.
“An older guy asked him, ‘Son, are you from Texas?’ when he looked down and saw the ring,” Hudson III said. “It turns out it was a general. He told him that he was changing his orders and that he needed him to be a general’s aide. He was in Japan for six years and was never shot at. Who knows what would have otherwise happened to him.”
Agricultural science junior Garrett Hancock also continued a family legacy by wearing a ring that belonged to his great-grandfather, Frank Foster, Class of 1953, who died during Hancock’s senior year of high school. 
Hancock said Foster gave him the ring upon hearing his decision to attend A&M and join the Corps of Cadets, and that Foster had been instructed by his cousin to keep passing the ring down to members of their family.
“My family and I were visiting for the weekend and I wanted to tell him my decision because he was a Class of ’53,” Hancock said. “He went to his room and brought back a box and preceded to tell me a story of his cousin, Ralph G. Griffin ’46, and how he had been given this ring to pass down to a Foster. Because of my commitment to the organization that had shaped my great-grandfather and many other Foster’s alike, he wanted me to have the ring and carry on the Foster tradition.” 
The ring Hancock has worn proudly since completing his 90th hour last semester now serves as a reminder of those in his family that came before him, and what he has accomplished during his time at A&M so far. 
“Ever since that day I have held on to the ring as a reminder of what I started and a token of my gratitude for my family,” Hancock said. “This journey has been the best time of my life, but when I see my ring on my finger I know that it is only the beginning. From ’46 to ’16 a lot has happened and from ’16 on I know the best is yet to come.” 
While the link to his family’s past is clear, Hancock said the link he feels to his larger Aggie family is still just as prevalent.
“I am very joyous of my accomplishments at A&M and I feel that this ring is a symbol of those accomplishments and those before and after me,” Hancock said. “This ring holds special value to me, yes, but it is a symbol that all Aggies one day share. My ring is just as special as any other ring that is worn by the Aggie family. It’s our connection to each other.”