Contact: Maridith Geuder
For the first time at Mississippi State, students ordering official university class rings will receive them in a formal ceremony.
On Wednesday [April 9], juniors and seniors will be presented their rings by President Charles Lee during a 5:30 p.m. public program at the Hunter Henry Center. The MSU Alumni Association is sponsoring the event to help commemorate an institutional ring design first developed in 1935.
"We plan for this inauguration ceremony to become an annual tradition at the university," said John V. Correro, alumni association executive director. "The ring is a lasting symbol of affiliation with Mississippi State and wearing it is tangible evidence of pride in our university."
Correro said the ornament design reflects traditions traced to the university's beginnings. In addition to a maroon-colored garnet stone, the elaborate gold band also features the institution name, founding date, bulldog mascot, image of founding president Stephen D. Lee, and muskets and sabers. The latter are symbols of the university's military heritage.
"Class rings are a powerful reminder of the years spent at Mississippi State," Correro said. "That is why the alumni association is making this effort to extend the special traditions associated with them."
For more information about the ring ceremony, telephone the MSU Alumni Association at (662) 325-7000.