Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

One of Texas A&M's first female graduates receives Aggie ring as gift
By Meghan Donnelly
The Battalion (Texas A&M)
06/12/2007

(U-WIRE) COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Sitting on a Texas A&M bus 43 years after graduating, Darleen Morris said she never thought that she had been one of the few who had paved the way for women.

Morris, Class of 1964, was at an Aggie football game when a female cadet told her, "You were a pioneer for us so that we could go to A&M."

The A&M Board of Regents announced admittance for undergraduate and graduate women in 1964. After transferring from Texas A&I in Kingsville (Texas A&M-Kingsville), Morris graduated with a degree in education. However, she said she was not allowed to walk the stage or receive her Aggie ring.

Portraying the doubt surrounding their admittance, Morris' yearbook photo and the 12 other female graduates, were arranged in the shape of a question mark.

Morris's husband, Earl, graduated in 1964 from veterinary school, and after two years in the military, the couple moved back to College Station, where they continue to live. Earl taught in the College of Veterinary Medicine until May.

At Earl's retirement party, Darleen had no idea he would be presenting her with her Aggie ring.

"It couldn't have been such a perfect time," Morris said. "It was so heartwarming. I felt like I was engaged. I was holding it out and everybody was looking."

With 13 women graduating in her class, Morris said it was rare that she had another woman in her classes at A&M.

"I got the impression that there were some people that didn't want us to be there," she said. "And then there were some (male students) that were so happy to have a woman in class with them."

Morris said when she was walking by the Memorial Student Center as a student and her heel accidentally touched the grass as she was turning the corner. As soon as she touched the lawn, two cadets from behind yelled, "Get off the grass, Maggie."

"Maggie" was a term used by male students to refer to early female Aggies.

Morris said she has seen the community grow in relation to the University and remembers when there was only a movie theater at Northgate.

She said she considers herself a pioneer now and believes women being admitted to the University was a turning point for A&M.

"(Letting women enroll at A&M) has made it a major university — a very respected university," Morris said. "I think the real growth of A&M was having the Maggies come."

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