Citadel Class Ring, 1961. William F. Reilly

Citadel Class Ring, 1961. William F. Reilly

William Reilly noticed that his Citadel ring was missing in the spring of 1967 while on the coast of South Vietnam. He concluded that it was lost, and is wrote in a later letter to The Citadel that he "Felt a very deep loss which was particularly magnified by the fact that there was nothing I could do to recover the ring I so cherished." Two weeks later a fellow officer held out a hand, and asked if the ring he held belonged to Reilly. It had been found in shallow water by a soldier in another unit. Reilly wrote, "My elation at this turn of events was indescribable. Thus, when the opportunity to donate my ring to The Citadel, representing the Class of '61, arose, I could think of no better way to insure it would never be lost again. My ring has come home to stay."

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The oldest known Citadel Class Ring dates to 1895, and features a dark stone with the year '95 inscribed in the center. Early rings changed design from year to year until the design was standardized in 1940. A special war ring was made for those who had been called to active duty directly from The Citadel at the close of the 1942-1943 academic year. This war ring was unique in that it did not have class numerals.

Citadel Class Rings for the Corps of Cadets feature an oval crest with a Palmetto tree and the South Carolina State Seal with the graduating class numerals. The words “The Military College of S.C. 1842” wrap around the oval. The right side of the ring depicts the United States and South Carolina flags, cannon balls, and a star representing the Star of the West steamship that cadets fired upon in January of 1861. The left side depicts a crossed sword and rifle with oak leaves and laurel wreath.

For more information, visit The Citadel Alumni Association's Cadet Ring History & Symbolism website.

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