HENDERSON, Texas (KETK) – Texas A&M University announced on Tuesday that the Bonfire tradition, that led to the death of 12, including a Henderson woman in 1999, will not be brought back to the campus after a committee recommended its reinstitution.
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Texas A&M president Mark Welsh said in a release that a committee provided him with recommendations to best celebrate the return of the Lone Star Showdown, and one was that the university reinstate Bonfire.
“After careful consideration, I have decided it is not in the best interest of Texas A&M and the Aggie Family to bring Bonfire back to campus,” Welsh said. “I heard from many of you, as well as former students and friends of the university on this topic, and I thank you for your honest, thoughtful feedback. While the input varied, the majority of those who reached out were not in favor of reinstituting Bonfire.”
According to the release, on Nov. 18, 1999, 12 people lost their lives when the Bonfire collapsed. One of the victims was Jamie Hand, a Henderson High School graduate in her first semester at College Station.
“I decided that Bonfire, both a wonderful and tragic part of Aggie history, should remain in our treasured past,” Welsh said.
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