Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1983)
Page 6D/The Battalion/Monday, August 29, 1983 V Bonfire: Beat the hell outta’ t.u. Bonfire a big tradition since its start in 1900s — ~ il ^ '"M * " ■ ■ by Hope Paasch University Archives photo Before the mid-50s bonfire was held on the drill and parade field near the Memorial Student Center. In 1955, bonfire was moved to the field behind Duncan Dining Hall where it is held now. Battalion Staff One of the best known of all Aggie traditions, bonfire began in the early 1900s as nothing more than a pile of junk burned by excited students in anticipa tion of Varsity football games. During November and Decem ber, when the games usually were played, a fire was wel comed for the warmth it added to the chilly night. Building and burning a bon fire before the University of Texas football game at Thank sgiving gradually became a cus tom, and by the 1920s it was a tradition, a former comman dant and coach at Texas A&M University wrote in a letter to the University archives. Frank Anderson, who saw his first bonfire in the fall of 1920, said the fire consisted of com munity trash, tree limbs, boxes, lumber scraps and debris. The outhouse that sits atop bonfire found its beginning in this era. One of the cadets’ favo rite materials for building the bonfires was untended, un watched and, hopefully, un occupied outhouses, Anderson wrote. Speeches and yells accompa nied the lighting of the bonfire, but the fire was usually burned out by the time the speeches ended. Apparently, no one consi dered the early bonfires very memorable, since the first pic ture of a bonfire didn’t appear until the 1928 Longhorn, the Texas A&M yearbook. By 1935, bonfire was an established tradition, marked by the enthusiasm of the cadets who gathered junk to build it. o gatnei The cadets’ resourcefulness began to bring complaints from the community. On the morning after the 1935 bonfire, a very irate farmer visited Anderson’s office and said the cadets had carried off his log barn. Because of the problems in 1935, the building of bonfire was put under the comman dant’s control in 1936. Cadets chopped a grove of dead cotton wood trees near what is now Eas- terwood Airport. Texas A&M College provided axes, saws and trucks. The 1936 bonfire was the first legal and all-log one, Anderson wrote. That first log bonfire was only about 12 feet tall, but it got the job done, Anderson wrote. Some junk, as well as logs, was still used to build the fires until after World War II. After the second world war, many of Texas A&M’s traditions became more codified and ritualized, including the bonfire tradition. The first centerpole for a bonfire made exclusively of logs was raised in 1946, and the 1947 bonfire used a centerpole of two logs strapped together. Every year af ter that, bonfire grew big ger and more elaborate. From its start until 1955, bon fire was held on the drill and parade field near the Memorial Student Center. In 1955, bon fire was moved to the field hind Duncan Dining Hall. In 1981, when the Unive decided to build a Univi Press building on DuncanlM mural Field, many students tied that bonfire would moved again. Officers in t Corps Commandant’s said bonfire still will behel Duncan field. Though most memonei bonfire are cherished, has marred the occasion? three times. In 1955, asopl more cadet was killed tdii working on bonfire by acari) swerved out ol control.Jamel| Sarran, who died after shoved two other cadets to s tv, was honored posthumoui b\ the bn.it did Regents fpi herosim. Bonfire was built but nod) *JB5S sH see BONFIRE, page! Everyday prices atTSO are lower than most advertised prices Compare price, compare quality — you cannot beat the values on prescription eyewear at TSO. And that’s true for all TSO eyewear, including famous designer frames. Doctor’s Prescription Required Texas State O RTICAU Prices you can afford. Quality you can see. 216 N. Main Bryan 779-2786 Post Oak Mall College Station 764-0010 aslllllw University Archives photo In the 20s, the bonfire before the Thanksgiving game consisted of community trash, tree limbs, boxes, lumber scraps and debris. or* v.j'o- § 9 SNOOK BAKERY Downtown Snook across from watertower OPEN: Monday, Thursday, Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m. LET US BAKE YOUR KOLACHES, BREAD, CAKES, DONUTS, PIES, ETC. 272-8301 jSssSSEl In 198 Davis-Gary desire to ‘ or I continued fi foi’theonlv time |9l).i because of n of President By. Students at toi' decided tc Burning for the ■not lighting tl ^llhe third tr ■ Bing the ^ Bl bonfire. ' Big, a sophom IBnomics majo ■ ll| under tin Btor. 1969 was a Billie. The I Mifire set a ne flic 1969 bon Igest ever hut [1 Statesy Ifor safety re; Jolbonfire was li feet. Local i In 1968 bonfire was 85 feet high. The following year 107-foot 10-inch bonfire set a new world record, which is still the largest bonfire ever burned in the I United States. > i WELCOME BACK AGGIES! DONUT SHOP * ... another Tradition in Aggieland. GRILL AGGIE-OWNED AND AGGIE-OPERATED! 210 VILLA MARIA RD IN BRYAN (Between Texas Ave. & South College on Cavitt) 1 /2 DOZEN REGULAR DO-NUTS FREE ANY WEEKDAY WITH PURCHASE OF ANY PLATTER MEAL (FROM OUR GRILL) AND THIS COUPON! EXPIRES 9/30/83 | In 1951, a quickly-constructed bonfire was the “biggest yet.” Today, bonfire is a carefully engineered structure resulting from months of prior planning. f ^fziLofi (fjaCCzztj vcrouCd Like. to oJELcorm. you bacfl to xcliooL and zzmind tjou tfiat vje offtt comfiCzts i£Z<jLC£i to dzeozats. ljouz ntoj worn o’* ajjaztmznt inotudincj: Art Posters Limited Edition Prints Custom Framing Original Art Works 2551 So Texas Ave. College Station, TX