For former student Dilipkumar Patel ’66, what started out as a surprise visit to his alma mater this last summer became a day he would never forget.
Patel’s daughter Bela Jain had made plans to spend the day with her parents in College Station but wouldn’t give any details about where they were going. Accompanied by his wife Devayani, the family arrived at Texas A&M University and stopped by The Association of Former Students, where Jain suggested they park to take pictures of the Haynes Aggie ring replica.
There, The Association’s vice president, Kathryn Greenwade ’88, greeted the family and, under the guise of giving them a tour, invited them inside the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center. She led them to a group of staff, friends and Dr. Arul Jayaraman, head of the chemical engineering department, who were waiting to give Patel his Aggie ring.
The ring was a surprise gift for his 80th birthday. Jain said the idea came to her about five years ago, when he turned 75 and her first son graduated college. Jain and her brother both graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, and their father bought them college rings, each time mentioning he wished he would have bought his own.
Patel came to Texas A&M from India in 1963 and when he graduated, he didn’t have the money to buy his Aggie ring. He worked in Houston for many companies throughout his career and retired 10 years ago.
“All my success in life goes to becoming an Aggie, the 12th Man,” Patel said. “This was one of the happiest moments in my life, which I will always treasure. I am proud to wear this ring and honor the university.”