Class committees, which take responsibility for the ring, remain faithful to the original standard, making only minor alterations in ring design from year to year.ġ975: Students begin to break with Brass Rat tradition. In 1940, the ring committee suggests that the Brass Rat be redesigned-after much discussion and polling, however, the idea is dropped.ġ963: The Standard Ring Committee disbands. The clever and industrious mascot wins, earning the ring its enduring nickname of “Brass Rat.” Contrary to that moniker, the rings are available only in gold or sterling silver.ġ940: In the early years, the rings do not change much, with slight variations based only on who produces the ring. They debate whether to feature the Great Dome or the beaver on the bezel. The Class of 1927 begins the tradition with a generic design.ġ929: The student committee for the first custom MIT ring, officially named the Standard Technology Ring, commences work on a design to be worn by the Class of 1930. We’ve searched archives and conferred with alums to round up the (mostly) agreed-upon facts that trace its journey, from quiet 1927 debut to the 2020 design that has become a symbol of connection to a geographically dispersed graduating class.ġ927: Before this time, MIT had no class ring. The details of its history are sometimes cause for friendly debate. All rights reserved on entire contents nothing may be reprinted, or displayed on another web page, without the prior written consent of the publisher.Many things have changed about the MIT Brass Rat over the years, yet it remains one of the most recognizable rings in the world-a unifying symbol of solidarity that comes from earning an MIT degree. Over pizza, a sandwich, and a cold beverage, the "rat" was removed from my pocket and placed on the table in front of an ecstatic Pete.Īt last, 27 years after being lost, the Brass Rat was back home where it belonged.Ĭopyright © 1995 - 2015 People's Publishing. So, on Saturday, June 27, 2009, a specific 1981 Brass Rat went to lunch at a local restaurant. The beaver on top of the gold ring is the MIT mascot, so chosen because it is considered to be the engineer of the animal world. It is said that the Brass Rat is one of the most recognizable rings in the country, ranking just behind those of West Point and the Superbowl. Nicknamed the Brass Rat, the MIT class ring is redesigned each year, so each class's rings are unique. You don't know me, but my name is Gary Speck, and I have something you might have lost a few years ago at the beach." On Monday evening after coming home from work, I called. So, I went to the website, where typing in his name gave me only one result, here in southern California.įrom firing up the computer to writing down a phone number took less than 15 minutes! I now know what he looks like, but where is he now? Thankfully, his name isn't John Smith! I went back to Google, typed in the name, and got a couple hits, but nothing I could use. As the university is primarily an engineering university, nature's engineer- the beaver- is a perfect mascot. The bezel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology class ring features a beaver.