Texas A&M’s school spirit is legendary. The “Aggie Spirit” is defined in large part by a series of traditions that students and former students have shared since the school’s founding in 1876. Until 1963, Texas A&M was an all-male military school- a fact that impacts many of the traditions explained below.
Howdy- Howdy is the official greeting at Texas A&M and is what we believe makes us the friendliest school in the world. It is our way of making sure that no one feels like a stranger. So, as you walk around campus during your four, five, or maybe six year collegiate career, we ask that you greet other students, faculty, and staff with a warm “Howdy!” to help continue this tradition.
Gig ‘Em- As you may know, a gig is a spear used for hunting frogs. At a 1930 Yell Practice before the TCU football game, P.L.
“Pinkie” Downs, Class of 1906, asked, “What are we going to do with those Horned Frogs?” and answered himself, “Gig ‘Em
Aggies!” For emphasis he made a fist with his thumb extended up creating the first hand sign of the Southwest Conference.
This remained the only hand sign in the South West Conference for 25 years when t.u. copied the Aggies idea and created Hook
‘em Horns. This is now used as the universal sign of approval by Aggies to encourage and motivate one another other.
12 th Man- On January 2, 1922 the 12 th man was born in the Dixie Classic (currently the Cotton Bowl) against the reigning national champions, Centre College. At half time Coach Dana X Bible realized that though the Aggies were winning, every player but the 11 on the field were injured. Bible remembered that former football player E. King Gill ‘24 was in the press box identifying players and called him down to the field. Gill stood by Bible’s side through the duration of the game with the Aggies defeating Centre College 22-14. Though Gill never went in to play, he was quoted as saying, “I wish I could say that I ran for the winning touchdown, but I didn’t. I simply got ready and waited-just in case I was needed.” Aggies stand at all football games to signify the students’ readiness to enter the game if needed and take their place as “the 12 th man on the Fightin’ Aggie team.”
Memorial Student Center- During the 1940’s there were two groups of Aggies; one was a student group that wanted a new student center, and the other was an alumni group that wanted to build a memorial to their fellow Aggies that fell in the World
Wars. The two groups got together, and the Memorial Student Center was conceived. At the main entrance to the MSC, a plaque reads “Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend” John 15:13, and underneath are the 940 names of the Aggies who gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country. The MSC opened on September 21, 1950, and was dedicated on Muster Day, April 21, 1951. In 1971, the MSC was rededicated to all Aggies who have given their lives in past or future wars. This is why we remove our hats in the MSC and do not walk on the grass surrounding the building.
Silver Taps- Silver Taps is held in the Academic plaza on the first Tuesday of every month (as needed) for a graduate or undergraduate student who passes away while enrolled at A&M. The first Silver Taps was held in 1898 for Lawrence Sullivan
Ross, the former governor of Texas and president of A&M College. Pinky Downs and John F. Kennedy are the only other noncurrent students to have been honored at Silver Taps. On the day of Silver Taps, a small card with the deceased student’s name, class, major, and date of birth is placed as a notice at the base of the academic flagpole in the academic plaza. A box is also placed in the Academic plaza where letters can be written to the families of those Aggies being honored. There is also a table at Rudder Plaza and the Quad where letters can be written. Although the students may never have met the honored
Aggies, it helps the families with their grievances. Around 10:15 that night, the lights are extinguished and hymns chime from
Albritton Tower. Students silently gather at the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross. At 10:30 PM, the Ross Volunteer Firing
Squad marches into the plaza at a slow cadence and fires a 21-gun salute. Buglers then play a special rendition of taps called
“Silver Taps” written by Colonel Richard Dunn. Silver Taps is played three times: once to the north, south, and west but never to the east as it is said that the sun will never rise on the fallen Aggie again. After the last note is played, students silently return to their dorms or cars, and all that can be heard is the shuffling of feet.
Aggie Muster- Aggie Muster is a ceremony held every year on San Jacinto Day, April 21. Muster has it’s origins as a Field Day full of fun and activities and no class. The most famous Muster took place during WWII in 1942 on Corregidor in the Philippines

when Major General George Moore ‘08 led a group of recently commissioned Ags in a moment to honor valiant Aggies who had died, hold a yell practice, and sing the War Hymn all under heavy enemy fire. In 1944, the first campus Muster was held and today the largest Muster held worldwide takes place on campus at Reed Arena, where Aggies and their families gather to remember those Aggies who passed on during the year. Today, Muster is an all day affair that begins with a flag raising ceremony at sunrise. This is followed by the Camaraderie BBQ where the 50-year class reunion gathers to reflect on good times and talk with younger Ags. At 7 PM, the Muster ceremony begins and is comprised of a speaker, roll call for the absent when each name is read and a candle lit while friends and family reply “Here”, then a 21-gun salute by the Ross Volunteers, and the playing of Silver Taps. Roll call signifies that the Aggie will always be present in our hearts and never forgotten.
Sully- The statue at the front of the Academic Building is Lawrence Sullivan Ross, known to us as “Sully”. He was a Brigadier
General in the Confederate Army, a former Governor of Texas, and a President of the A&M College of Texas. The reason why
Sully is so dear to us is because he saved the university back in ol’ army days. The state legislature of Texas was considering closing A&M and turning it into a mental institution as well as building a new university in Austin. Ross did not like this idea and went to the Capitol to change their minds. After much debate and frustration, he walked onto the floor of the Senate and is said to have punched out the speaker. Because of Sully’s efforts Texas A&M University still exists today and became known as the Fightin’ Texas Aggies. Under his administration, the first Aggie Band formed, the first Aggie football team was organized, and the Aggie Ring was designed.
Reveille- Reveille, the first lady of Aggieland, is the official mascot of Texas A&M University. She is the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadets with five diamonds on her blanket, the Corps Commander has only four. Reveille I came to Texas A&M in January of 1931 when a group of cadets found a mutt on the side of the road on their way back from Navasota. Being the good Ags they were, they took her back to the dorm and hid her, since dogs were not allowed. The next morning when reveille was played, she started barking. The following football season, she was named the official mascot as she led the band onto the field during their half-time performance. When Reveille I died on January 18, 1944, she was given a formal military funeral on the gridiron of Kyle Field. She was then buried at the north entrance to the field, as all Reveilles are, facing the scoreboard so that she can always see how her team is doing. We are currently on Reveille VIII who was introduced on August 30, 2008 at the
Arkansas State football game.
Bonfire- Bonfire began on November 18, 1907 as a pile of trash gathered by a few students to welcome the football team back to town and evolved over the years into the cake structure that is associated with bonfire today. Bonfire did not burn twice during it’s time on campus. The first time was in 1963 to honor President John F. Kennedy following his assassination. The second time was 92 years to the day of the first bonfire beginning when the stack collapsed on November 18, 1999 at 2:42 AM, killing twelve Aggies and injuring twenty-seven others. It is important to remember that bonfire did not create the Aggie Spirit, the Aggie Spirit created bonfire. It is up to each of us to keep the undying spirit alive by passing it on to others and by embodying it in ourselves through all of our actions.
Midnight Yell- The first Midnight Yell Practice was held in 1932 as a result of a bunch of cadets gathered in Peanut Owens' dorm room in Puryear Hall. Someone suggested that all of the freshman should fall out and meet on the steps of the YMCA building at midnight. The cadets notified senior yell leaders “Horsefly” Berryhill and “Two Gun” Herman from Sherman, who said they couldn’t authorize it but they just might happen to show up. Well, needless to say, the word spread quickly, and when the freshman began to arrive, there were railroad flares and torpedoes stuck in flower pots around the YMCA building to light the area. Today, Midnight Yell is held in Kyle field with everyone present for yells, a few fables, and then the lights go out so everyone can mug down with, or kiss, their dates!
Yell Leaders- Aggies don’t just cheer, they yell, so Aggie yells are led by yell leaders. The original yell leaders were freshmen, who were told to entertain the crowd during a losing season, so they “borrowed” some janitor’s uniforms and performed during the game. The freshmen were so popular with the student body and their female guests that the upperclassmen decided to take the privilege back. Today, there are three seniors and two juniors elected as yell leaders by the student body each spring.
“Hump it Ags”- Early on, Texas A&M took on a position in favor of “scientific” yelling. It was determined that the voice projected best from a position called the “hump”. To hump it, students bed over and place their hands on their knees, thus

enabling everyone behind them to see what’s going on while the yell is in progress and also extending their diaphragms for maximum volume level.
Elephant Walk- Elephant Walk marks the end of the usefulness of the Aggie seniors to the student body. Like dying elephants, which wander the jungle looking for a quiet place to die after their value to the herd is over, thousands of seniors will join hands and wander aimlessly about campus visiting landmarks for the symbolic “last time.” The event now occurs annually prior to the last regularly scheduled football game. Seniors meet at Kyle Field for a yell practice and presentations. Afterwards, senior yell leaders lead the group through campus accompanied by a bass horn and a piccolo from the Aggie Band.
Junior E-Walk- Junior E-Walk coincides with the Senior Elephant Walk tradition. It was created to give the juniors something to do as they had begun to get rowdy and try to interrupt Senior Elephant Walk. The junior class now uses this to celebrate it becoming the leaders of campus.
Maroon Out- Becoming one of Texas A&M’s newest traditions, the first Maroon Out held in 1998 led to a temporary national shortage of maroon t-shirts. 31,000 Maroon Out shirts were sold at low cost to ensure that tens of thousands of Aggies attending the Texas A&M vs. Nebraska football game would create a sea of maroon spirit throughout the stands. Today, the
Maroon Out committee selects a game each season to be the official “Maroon Out” game and tens of thousands of shirts are sold in advance of it.
Aggie Ring- One of the greatest moments in the life of any Aggie is the day that they receive their Aggie Ring. To order your ring, you need to have completed 95 hours, 45 hours of which must be at A&M. This tradition began when E.C. Jonas, class of
1894, designed the first A&M ring that includes the symbols we see on the ring today. It has remained almost exactly as Jonas designed, with one notable exception. This change to the Aggie Ring took place in 1964 when the Texas Legislature renamed the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas as Texas A&M University and the ring was changed accordingly. The Aggie
Ring is as deep in symbolism as it is in tradition. It is something that is able to bond all Aggies together as every ring is identical to the rings of every Aggie who has come before them and every Aggie that will come after them.
Ring Dance- Each year, Ring dance is held for the Senior Class. The name reflects a milestone at the end of the year. Although seniors have been privileged to wear the cherished Aggie Rings they attained after 95 hours, as of Ring Dance they may wear it differently. Up to this point, seniors have worn the ring so that it faces them when their hand is palm down with their fingers pointed away from them. Ring Dance represents the end of their senior year, when they can turn the ring around to be read by others, signaling that they are finished here in Aggieland and ready to go out to the world.
The Big Event- The Big Event is the largest, one-day, student-run service project in the nation where students of Texas A&M
University come together to say “Thank You” to the residents of Bryan and College Station. Since it began in 1982, students have come together to complete projects such as yard work, window washing, and painting for individual members of the community. It has incorporated over 5,000 students and 500 jobs in any given year and no longer how big it gets, it still conveys the simple “Thank You” message that it was created to provide.