BUILDING A LEGACY
Chronology of Major
Events at Texas A&M
1862
Morrill Land Grant College Act provides federal support
for establishment of colleges to teach agricultural and
mechanical arts, "including military tactics."
Texas Legislature accepts
provisions of the Morrill Act.
1866
Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
established by act of the legislature.
1876
Texas A&M opens
Oct. 2 as a land
grant college, and
the Corps of Cadets
is bom. College
dedication
ceremonies held
Oct. 4. School
begins with six
students, enrolling
106 by year's end.
Corps membership
is compulsory.
1871
1879
Organizational meeting of the A&M Ex-Cadets
Association, foremnner of The Association of
Former Students.
The Scott Volunteers, predecessor organiztion to the
Ross Volunterers, is formed. Now recognized as the
oldest student organization in Texas.
1888
First A&M class ring
designed by Class of 1889
Texas Aggie Band is formed by Joseph Holick, Arthur
Jenkins and 13 cadets.
First A&M football
game is played against
Texas in Austin.
More than 100 Aggies
serve in the Spanish-
American War.
1898
Traditions
spanning
generations
Virgil Dabney, bom Dec. 1899, Class of 1922
Came to A&M in Sept. 1918 to begin military training for World
War I. The armistice was signed Nov. 11, 1918, and Virgil was
never sent to war. Instead, he continued at A&M becoming the first
member of his family to attend and graduate from college. Virgil
took every other year off to work, teaching in Wichita Falls and
earning money for the next year at college. Graduated in Virgil
compressed four academic years into three-and-a-half. graduating
with a degree in industrial arts education in Sept. 1923. Lived in
Tent City, that began in 1906 as temporary housing for overflow
students. Tents were 12-feet by 12-feet with a wood-buming stove
in the center of each for heat and a light strung through the roof.
U.S presidents during his time at A&M were Woodrow Wilson,
1913 to 1921 and Warren G. Harding, 1921 to 1923. University
president was Dr. William Bizzell, 1914 to 1925. Major events:
Virgil helped to build the wooden bleachers in Kyle Field. In the
winter of 1919 to 1920, an influenza outbreak among the Corps left
cadets dead, with 'Silver Taps’ played in the night as students died.
In a prank classmates pulled on Virgil and his roommate, his tent
was moved from its location in front of the YMCA Building to
what is now O. R. Simpson Drill Field. Aggie Muster was
institutionalized in April 1923 by University President Bizzell. The
Aggie football team won the National Championship in 1919 and
Southwest Conference championship in 1920 and 1921, all under
Coach Dana X. Bible. Virgil has been married for 65 years. After
college, Virgil taught wood shop and mechanical drawing for 43
years, teaching for 38 years at San Jacinto High School in Houston.
He retired to a ranch in Kerrville, where he taught his
grandchildren the ethics of hard work through farming. His fonner
students, many now in their 70s and 80s, frequently stop by his
residence in Kerrville to thank him for teaching them.
I
:
Came to A&M in Sept. 1958. Women were not admitted until 1963, and it was
mandatory for every Aggie to be a member of the Corps unless he had prior
military service or an athletic exception. Graduated in May 1962 with a degree
in accounting. Lived in Room 412 of Dorm 8 freshman year — Thomas thinks
there is still a hole in the wall where upperclassmen punched through. He lived
in Dorm 12 for the rest of his time at A&M. U.S. presidents during his time at
A&M were Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953 to 1961 and John F. Kennedy, 1961 to
1963. University president was James Earl Rudder, 1960 to 1970. Major events:
Thomas remembers watching events in the Soviet and American space program
race from the Memorial Student Center. In April 1961, the Soviet Union sent the
first man into space, Yuri Gagarin. The American space program followed May
5, sending Alan Shephard into orbit. Thomas also recalls cadet pranks, like the
time his sophomore year, students threw a stink bomb into the showers, and one
naked cadet had to be rushed to Buetel. Thomas has been married for 39 years.
After college, Thomas spent three years in the Air Force, stationed in New
Jersey and at Kelly Air Force base in San Antonio. He left the service in June
1965 to work for Arthur Young in Houston. He currently does financial work for
a H ouston-based firm.
a 101-year life
of 1922. has wc
lege, worked his *
aching and left b
ns of Aggies whc?
them. I
lorn on Dec. 2. |
old during the h
lis family hardly
portthe children, f
lege. He decided t*
after work in
penter for one year
lend college for tf
‘With all respect t'
ceived only a or
to A&M
rough,’he said. "A
’fI turned to im
m going
Thomas Dabney,
born Sept. 1940,
Class of 1962
Travis Dabney, bom March 1974, Class of 1996
Came to A&M in August of 1992, after hearing about A&M his whole life. His two older sisters graduated from A&M in the
1980s, and his father brought him to memorable football games in the 80s. Graduated in May 1998 with a degree in history, after
taking one year off. Lived in College Station apartments throughout his college career. U.S. president during his time at A&M
was George Bush, 1989 to 1992, Bill Clinton, 1993 to 2001. University presidents were William H. Mobley, 1988 to 1993; E.
Dean Gage, interim president, 1993 to 1994 Dr. Ray M. Bowen, Class of 1958, 1994 to present. Major events: Travis watched
coverage of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings from the Memorial Student Center. The Aggie football team was the
Southwest Conference Champion in 1992 and 1993, the Big 12 South Champion in 1997 and Big 12 Champion in 1998, all under
coach R.C. Slocum. After college, Travis worked for Dell Corp. as a salesperson until March 2000, when he was hired as a
development officer for the 12th Man Foundation. Travis lives in Bryan and works on the A&M campus in the Bernard C.
Richardson Zone, a combination, he said, any Aggie should love.
1898
Death of President Lawrence Sullivan Ross.
First use of Silver Taps.
Earliest recognized Aggie Muster held.
1906
1916
Dabney, Class of 1
By Branch
THE BA'
maquit washint
nd said, ‘That
1 couldn’t go th
money. So 1 wor
February tc
fed as a carpentei
San Antonio to can
year at A&M. F
aded classes at Ad
year to work and
next year of coursi
Dabney entered A
!. Not long;
ad the everyday g
ips of Cadets was c
World War 1.
"During World W
the entire mi
was mustered
fey said. “At th:
fie senior on can
received theii
a were even in Fr
dare. The juniors \
, sophomore
feien in the sprin
Although Dabney
art education, hi;
cadets were put
fewas required to
®ing — specifica
gun fire.
On Nov. 11, 15
i to form a
Hege President i
me.
Dr. Bizzell came
3 few words, sir
f t' ” Dabney sak
11 could look arc
fels and see they r
Ming there at atte
National Defense Act establishes
the Reserve Officer Training Corps
program. Texas A&M ROTC program
established Oct. 19.
Earliest known Aggie Bonfire held.
Tent city erected to "temporarily" house overflow
students. Remains until after World War I.
1909
America enters World War I. Majority of
Class of 1917 is ordered to officer training
school, others enlist directly. All juniors of
draft age in Class of 1918 are drafted. Class
of 1919 completes summer training and is
ordered to active duty. Of the 2,217 Aggies
who serve, 53 are killed or die in service.
Pvt. Norman G. Crocker, Class of 1918, is
the first Aggie killed in America’s wars.
1917
Texas A&M is among the first four
colleges in the nation to add a U.S.
Army Air Service ROTC detachment,
forerunner of today’s Air Force
ROTC program.
1920
Completion of 1
dining hall comp
as The Quadrar
Hie Corps of Cac
America enters W
14,123) than any
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