In 1835, when the cadets at West Point devised the first class ring, it was still normal to seal letters using signet rings pressed into wax—and the earliest rings were designed to do so. However, as this ancient practice died out in the ensuing decades (with the advent of gummed envelopes and postage), the school kept the tradition, and by the late 1800s, class rings had been adopted by the Naval Academy and Ivy League universities.

Class rings still hold a special place at the service academies. At the Naval Academy, ships bring waters from the seven seas, where they are combined in a binnacle, the device on a ship that holds the compass. When the midshipmen receive their rings at the end of their junior year, they, or their date, dip the ring in the binnacle before they wear it for the first time.

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West Point is even more elaborate. When the seniors, called Firsties, receive their ring in a formal ceremony, the freshmen, called plebes, are required to approach them and recite the following:

Oh my Gosh, Sir/Ma'am, what a beautiful ring. What a crass mass of brass and glass. What a bold mold of rolled gold. What a cool jewel you got from your school. See how it sparkles and shines. It must have cost you a fortune. May I touch it? May I touch it please, Sir/Ma'am?

Links:

• Many schools collect old donated rings to melt down and raise funds for current students: MIT Brass Rat Melt Project

This post is part of The American 250, a series featuring 250 objects made by Americans, located in America, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. 250 words on 250 works, from January 1 to December 31, 2026.

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