History of A&M Announcements
Graduation at Texas A&M can be one of the most exciting lifetime experiences. For some time, it might be hard to believe it's actually happening until they see their name on an official graduation announcement.
"The first time I saw my name in print on the invitation, I almost cried, said Tammy Barrow, class of '02. "I always knew that the day would come when I would graduate from college, but seeing your name in print on a college graduation announcement is one of the final steps in fulfilling that dream."
"I remember thinking that this whole thing can’t possibly be real," said Andrea Hickman, class of '95. "I really wasn’t going to graduate from college. I couldn’t, it wouldn’t be right. Everything was very surreal that semester. Everything about it seemed like some weird move, like I wasn’t really supposed to be there, like I was imposing on somebody else’s story. I guess I never thought I would ever get to that point and when it was finally upon me I had no idea how to feel."
While graduation announcements can invoke surreal feelings, the reality is that they, like many A&M traditions, evolved over time, incorporating changes that reflect an interesting part of A&M's history.
The Late 1800s
In the late 1870s, graduation announcements began as invitations to the commencement exercises and ball. The ball was held the evening of graduation day. Committees were listed on the invitation, such as the Invitation Committee, Floor Committee, and Reception Committee, and they were simple, with one page and no illustrations.
During the 1880s, however, the invitations became much more attractive. In 1881 an illustration of Old Main was added and the text was printed in indigo ink. The following year, the paper changed to tri-fold card stock and was outlined in gold. The text was printed in red, black and blue next to an illustration of a soldier and a tent with an American flag in the background. In 1888 the invitations became very elaborate. It was one square of card stock with scalloped edges with a second, diamond-shaped piece of scalloped card stock on top, secured at the top with string. On the top piece was a detailed illustration with a banner reading "Corps of Cadets. A&M.C. of Texas". Names of the committees and committee members were printed underneath the top piece. Variations of this design were used until 1892.
The following year, 1893, the invitations went back to a simpler design. The front was inscribed with the invitation, while on the inside, the graduating class was listed for the first time. This design continued until the turn of the century.
The Early 1900s
In 1900 the invitation became more like a booklet or program. It was bound with maroon and white string with an illustration of Old Main on the cover and TAMU printed in maroon at the top. Each page was separated by a piece of tissue paper. The first page contained an invitation, the second had a schedule of events, and the third contained the class roll and committees.
As the classes became larger each year, the number of pages grew to fit in all of the names. The 1906 invitation was the first year that the graduates were categorized by degree.
The design of the covers remained similar. However, the 1908 invitation featured a small photograph of rifle practice instead of an illustration. The following year featured a photograph of campus.
In 1910 there was a new page added to the invitation. The patronesses and official chaperones of the ball were listed. These ladies appeared to be mainly faculty wives. Reading the last names is like reading a map of the buildings on campus. Two years later, the front and back of almost every page was printed on, whereas before it was only the front of the page that was used.
In 1914 several pictures were added. Photos of Nagle Hall, the Academic Building under construction and Sbisa Hall lengthened the invitation to eight pages. The following two years, the invitation continued to feature photos from around campus.
However, the design changed again in 1919 with the invitation reduced to one sheet of card stock with no illustration. It did not mention the graduation ball, only the commencement exercises. It is possible that there was not a ball that year which could have been due to World War I. An outline was included as an insert that included a program and the names of the graduates. This design was used until 1921.
The Makings of a Souvenir
The layout of the 1922 invitation was the first version of the souvenir invitations that A&M uses today. There were two versions of these: one with a brown leather cover and one bound in white card stock. It was in the style of a program that included the invitation, the senior class officers, and four pages of graduates. In 1924 the color of the leather was changed to maroon and the cover had a gold seal. Pictures of the Academic Building and an engraving of the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, more commonly known as Sul Ross, were added.
For the 50th anniversary of A&M in 1926, the cover had "Golden Anniversary" printed at the bottom. As usual it included the invitation, program and the graduates. Also included were pictures of Guion Hall, the Academic Building and Sul Ross. On the final page the lyrics to "Spirit of Aggieland" were printed. For several years this format was used with occasionally new photos and illustrations changing from year to year.
Beginning in the 1940s, the invitations began to look more and more the same on the inside. The first page featured a drawing of the Administration Building. Usually the invitation would be next, then a drawing of the Academic Building, a list of the graduates, a drawing of the back of Sul Ross, and the lyrics to "Spirit of Aggieland".
Duke Hobbs, class of '47, recalls how he felt when he saw his invitations. "Of course I was excited," said Hobbs. "They were made of a beautiful maroon leather."
Not much had changed in the 1950s, except that the invitation was now reaching the length of 40 pages or more because of the number of graduates listed. So it was no surprise that by 1960 the graduates were no longer listed, and the invitation was back down to five pages.
Centennial Changes
No major changes came again until 1976. The cover had the gold Aggie Ring crest on the front, and the words "Centennial Class" were printed across the bottom. The first page was a quote from Governor Coke dated October 4, 1876, the birthday of Texas A&M. The second was the announcement, no longer an invitation because of the growing number of students. The third was a drawing of the Academic Building and Sul Ross. The last page was the lyrics to "Spirit of Aggieland". This format is still used today for the souvenir announcements.
"I remember the 'keepsake' announcement," said Hickman. "I thought it was awesome. It was a thick, bound booklet; maroon with a gold crest with my year on it. On the inside was a bunch of neat factoids and then the graduation page personalized it with my info."
Today there are several different options for students ordering their announcements. The invitations that are ordered through the MSC are on ivory paper with the gold ring crest embossed on the cover and the announcement inside. This design has been used since the 1980s.
"I liked the invitations they had then," said James Scamardo, class of '88. "Ivory with a gold TAMU seal."
Making it Personal
In 1997 personalized announcements were introduced. Unlike the previous design that required insertion of a personalized name card, the new design included the graduate's name, major and college printed directly on the inside.
As a reflection of the maroon print used a century earlier, in 2003 the personalized annoucements were offered with a new option: embossed maroon print on the inside. This further enhanced the available options after the introduction of black embossed print a year earlier. The raised embossed print refined the overall look and feel of the announcement.
"I always knew that I wanted the 'official' TAMU announcements that came from the MSC," said Barrow. "I had friends that...made their own, but I’m very traditional and figured that the best way to mark the end of my academic career at A&M was to send out the official invitations."
The embossed Aggie Ring Crest is unique to the official announcements offered by the University. In most cases it can be ordered with the graduate's own class year in the embossed crest design.
Another reason many students choose to order their announcements from the MSC is because the money goes to the school to help provide student services.
But the most important reason is that what it stands for makes a lasting impression.
"I guess there's just nothing like seeing the A&M [ring crest] with your class year embossed in gold on the front and your name and degree on the inside," said Barrow. "It's one of the things I waited for and worked towards throughout 16 years of school. The next best thing was walking across the stage and getting my diploma!"
Jennifer Maddox '02 conducted research for this article
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