For the first time in Mississippi State University history, a special public ceremony was held to present junior and senior students with their official MSU class rings.
In the Wednesday night ceremony at the Hunter Henry Center, MSU President Charles Lee presented class rings to 18 students.
The Alumni Association sponsored the ceremony to honor the class ring and the student recipients. The association hopes the ceremony will become an annual tradition at the university.
John V. Correro, Alumni Association executive director since 1994 said, “It is a formal ceremony trying to emphasize the importance of the ring, which is a lasting symbol of affiliation with MSU. It is tangible evidence of school pride and a reminder of their years spent at MSU.”
Only junior and senior students and alumni are allowed to purchase class rings. The rings are available to order in the MSU bookstore.
The class ring was originally designed in 1935 and for many years was the only official ring.
In the late 1970s many universities around the country, MSU included, started to sponsor many different class rings. This trend continued at MSU until 1995 when the Alumni Association decided to make the original design the only official ring.
Previously located in the Butler -Williams building, the Alumni Association did not have the facilities necessary to hold the ceremony. The newly constructed Hunter Henry Center provided this opportunity.
To find out more about receiving an official MSU class ring, students can contact the Alumni Association at 325-7000.