Ring Dance began on May 15, 1936 and was conceived by a group of seniors who decided that since the Aggie ring is the traditional mark of one whose days on the campus are soon to be over, a dance with the ring as the predominant theme would be appropriate as a final function of the Senior Class. Ring Dance occurred from 8pm to 12pm because there was a rule on campus that there couldn't be any dances on Sunday.
In 1941, Ring Dance had two giant Rings for pictures and the traditional "Ring Ceremony". Cadets would tell their dates they had to go through both rings for the "double ring ceremony" but it was really to get another kiss.
1943 and 1945 were the only years to see two separate class Ring Dances. Because of the wars, the school cycle went to a 12-month "express" cycle. One Ring Dance was held in January for one graduating class; the other in May for the next group of graduates.
In 1949, two Ring Dances were also held; one Friday night and one on Saturday night. But rather than being because of the war and "express" graduates, this was due to the number of participants: over 2400 people attended. In order to help get everyone through the rings in an organized manner, the Senior class issued cards saying what night each couple was to go to.