What is an Aggie?

[Probius]

It seems like everyone and their brother are called the Aggies, even Utah state calls themselves the Aggies. Do any of y'all know just exactly what an Aggie is?

 

[Stephen323]

An aggie is a playing marble.

 

[NashvilleTider]

Isn't it just short for agricultural? At least in the case of aTm? Don't know about Utah State.

 

[torsten]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by NashvilleTider:
Isn't it just short for agricultural? At least in the case of aTm? Don't know about Utah State. </font>

I think so. In fact, doesn't A&M stand for "agricultural and mechanical"? It probably stems more from the school's origin than its emphasis today.

 

[Probius]

A & M does stand for agricultural and mechanical. But there are so many teams called aggie that I figured that an aggie must be something, but I have never talked to anyone who knew what it is.

 

[mf627]

I've noticed the Aggie nickname paired with a Scottish motif a lot when used as a high school mascot. I wonder what the source of that is?

Here's a pretty cool site to check out: http://www.halcyon.com/marcs/mascotcoll.html

 

[TommyMac]

That's a great site. Some pretty funny names. Like the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Can't imagine the cry of "Go Lord Jeffs" would inspire fear in anyone.

Well, maybe the Grays Harbor Chokers.

 

[owenfieldreams]

As a devoted follower of the Big 12, the term Aggie is a common reference heard in these parts. We are the Aggie conference...T A&M, Oklahoma State (formerly Oklahoma A&M), Kansas State, & Iowa State; & of course there's Texas Tech, known affectionately as the "Aggies of the High Plains".

Aggie does come from the fact that when all these schools were founded they were Agricultural & Mechanical colleges. Sooners everywhere will always refer to Oklahoma State as the Aggies. T A&M has simply taken the name & woven it into the very fabric of their culture. They even have a yell....Fight Farmers Fight.

A little known fact, 2 of these Big 12 schools have among the highest rated Hotel & Restaurant Management schools in the country. Oklahoma State & Iowa State along with Cornell,The University of Houston, & UNLV are all top H & R management schools.

There are probably more veterinarians in the U.S. from Big 12 schools than any other conference....something to fall back on when your cumulative BCS rating sags.

O.U. has the highest rated Meterology school in the country which I have been able to determine has only produced people who, after you come out of the cellar, can say..."Yep, that was a tornado, all right".

Missouri has the highest rated Journalism school so, once again, you have something to thank the Big 12 for....cheap trash can liners.

If you believe U.T. graduates, Texas has the best school in every known academic discipline. I have 3 U.T. graduate children....just ask them.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

I just visited the Auburn Historikal Sosiety and according to their records the school was built on the site of an old chicken farm. During the first few years, as the farm was being phased out, the students sold eggs around Toomber's Corner to help pay for their tuition. Thus they became known as 'Aggies'. As in 'ham and aggs' and 'deviled aggs.'

 

[RollTideNAlbertville]

we have the Albertville Aggies here. We use a devil as our mascot. RTR

 

[bamamoss2]

Short for "agricultural" may have been the original intent.

However, the realisation of ATM being the "aggies" would make any other organization want to change their nickname. Talk about a sucking program!!!!!!!!

------------------
"May the Tide Be with You"

 

[bamamanatpurdue]

In 1963, the Morrill Land Grant Act provided land and federal money for the creation of Ag, Engineering, and Home economic colleges. Hotel and Restaurant management programs came from the Home Economics arena, while VET programs of course came from Ag. Most states have at least one Land grant school. Some southern states have more than one. I separate act was created to cover historically black colleges, hence Alabama A&M and Alcorn. Well know "AGGIE" schools include:
Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, LSU, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M; just to name a few. I hope this history lesson helps.

 

[BAMAWARD]

What about a Hokie? Seems I heard it was a type of bird.

 

[SemperDuc]

RTRntn, My first association with the name "Hokie" was in those old Yogi Bear cartoons where Yogi and BooBoo had this buddy named Hokie Wolf. I remember in the 1973 NIT basketball tournament we were playing Va Tech in the semifinals (unfortunate loss for us) and they were interviewing this rather striking blonde Tech cheerleader at halftime who explained that "hokie" was an Indian word for turkey. This seemed to make some modicum of sense as Tech is also sometimes called the Gobblers. But who really knows? Despite this insight the young lady made a few other revelations which might lead one to conclude that if her I.Q. were five points lower, she would be a gerranium, which was not hard on the eyes, either. Does anyone else remember those cheerleader outfits? Hotpants with high-top boots and SUSPENDERS, of all things. Take me home, country roads......RTR