USUHS Class Ring

[Dr. Dukes]

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I had dinner a couple of days ago with a friend of mine who graduated from Annapolis, and the conversation somehow turned to USUHS, and weirdly enough, class rings.
Does anyone know if USUHS grads/classes get a class ring, and when they do? The reason I ask is that I'm very close to proposing to my girlfriend, which means shortly there after I will have to pick out a wedding band. My Annapolis friend said class rings from USNA are basically never taken off, and that his classmates who have already tied the knot (he is USNA '05) got custom wedding bands to fit around their class ring.
Obviously USUHS is much younger than USNA (or West Point), and therefore has had less time for traditions like this to develop, but any guidance would be great.
Thanks!

 

[trixmd]

The class ring thing came to fruition while I was at USU (as did the alma mater) - I think you can specifically blame my class for that. As I recall, it was a lot of Academy/prior guys driving that bus. The rings were designed during my 4th year, so that was when my classmates bought them.

I didn't get one, and really haven't regretted it. My husband is also a USU grad - doesn't have on either. I don't recall any of our peers having them. Disclaimor - I have a classring from college, which I wear very infrequently.

I guess it depends on how much you value your time at USU. There was a couple a year behind me who met at USU, dated there, and even got married on campus (note - It is a pretty campus...) It would complete the pattern if she had a miniature for an engagement ring and he wore his class ring as you described.

Trix

ps
That's a fallacy that USNA rings are never taken off. Rings on ships and planes make for great degloving/amputation injuries.

 

[backrow]

I have never met any USUHS grads that wear a USUHS ring and nobody in my class that I know of has one.

 

[Bubblehead-to-MD]

I had dinner a couple of days ago with a friend of mine who graduated from Annapolis, and the conversation somehow turned to USUHS, and weirdly enough, class rings.
Does anyone know if USUHS grads/classes get a class ring, and when they do? The reason I ask is that I'm very close to proposing to my girlfriend, which means shortly there after I will have to pick out a wedding band. My Annapolis friend said class rings from USNA are basically never taken off, and that his classmates who have already tied the knot (he is USNA '05) got custom wedding bands to fit around their class ring.
Obviously USUHS is much younger than USNA (or West Point), and therefore has had less time for traditions like this to develop, but any guidance would be great.
Thanks!

USNA grad here - I wear my class ring only for special occasions. I've never really understood the guys who bought custom wedding bands so that they could wear their USNA ring and wedding ring together (i.e. they are always married to the Navy).

My wife is a USUHS grad. Although she is extremely proud of the fact that she graduated from there, she chuckled when I mentioned the USUHS class ring to her.

Take that for what it is worth!

 

[megadon]

I'm a USNA grad as well, did subs initially. I wore my ring constantly during power school, but no longer after that. I wear it to interviews and big functions, so like twice a year. Are there ring knockers out there, yes, but probably the same for any school. Josten's rolled by a few months back with class rings for our school, didn't give them the time of day. By the way, I spefically fitted my class ring to my right hand, none of this married to the Navy crap. My advice, if you want a class ring, get it, they are cool. Although I don't often wear it I would never give it up. However, I would never wear it on my left hand, because my marriage is a WAY bigger deal than graduating from an instution. I'll still say the same after I'm divorced from this four years of ignoring my wife. (Also an acad grad who wears ring less frequently than me). As far as the wedding band, han't come off since the last time I had to dive the battery on the boat, like five years ago.

 

[chopper]

I saw this alot when I was in the fleet (esp with brand new officers and O6/ flag officers) with the wedding ring and USNA both on the left finger. I always thought that you must think very little of your wife if you did this. I'm glad to hear that it is not as in-vogue as back then.

On a funny historical note - when Admiral Nimitz was a junior officer back in the day (1920s), he was heavily involved with the sub program, a big part of which was getting new Diesel engines from Germany. He was leading a tour of a diesel engine to some big wigs one day in his choker whites (including white gloves). He somehow got part of the glove caught in a gear and it started to pull his hand in. The gear stopped (and saved his hand) when his class ring caught in it. There is a outline rubbing of his hands showing the missing ring finger at the WWII museum in his home town in Texas (New Braunfels? - some small german town near San Antonio).

 

[rotatores]

I did somewhat enjoy my time at USUHS...but the idea of wearing a USUHS class ring is just silly to me.

rotatores