Contact: Bill Wagnon
After a brief absence, the traditional class ring has returned to the Mississippi State campus.
Created in 1935, the official ring was the only design available for many years. Other versions introduced by manufacturers recently have been phased out and the "official" ring is the only design currently available for alumni and senior and junior students. The jewelry piece is produced and marketed under license from the university.
"At the urging of the Mississippi State Alumni Association and with the blessing of former president Donald Zacharias, the university adopted the 1935 version as the official class ring," said Billy C. Ward, vice president for institutional advancement. "Our goal in making this change is to restore a campus tradition."
ArtCarved of Austin, Texas, one of the licensed manufacturers, recently presented a newly manufactured traditional ring to President Malcolm A. Portera, the West Point native and MSU alumnus who became the institution's 16th president on Jan. 1.
The official ring displays deep-molded busts of Stephen D. Lee, the school's first president, on one side and the original bulldog mascot on the other side. The graduation year appears above the Lee bust and the academic degree letters above the bulldog.
The bulldog and Lee bust are emblazoned onto shields, which represent the defense of the school in both academics and athletics, as well as the university's land-grant mission and military background. Muskets and sabers behind the shields symbolize students and alumni who died defending the country.
An eagle atop the shield symbolizes the high ideals of the country, state and university. In addition to school name, each ring carries a maroon stone in the form of a January garnet. The numerals "1878" represent the university's founding year.