Editing United States Air Force Academy (section)

===Class ring===
The American college tradition of the [[United States Military Academy class ring|class ring]] began with the class of 1835 at the [[U.S. Military Academy]]. From there, it spread to the U.S. Naval Academy in the class of 1869.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usna.com/SSLPage.aspx?rss=whatsnew_arch&pid=5270 |title=Commissioning Week Traditions |publisher=Usna.com |access-date=2011-12-10}}</ref>  The Air Force Academy continued the tradition, beginning with the first class, 1959, and so is the only service academy to have had class rings for every class since its founding.  The Air Force ring is distinctive for being white gold instead of the yellow gold used at the other academies. One side of the ring bears the academy crest, while the other side bears the class crest; the center bezel  bears the words United States Air Force Academy. Cadets choose their own stones for the center of the ring. The rings are received during their second-degree (junior) year at the Ring Dance, at the beginning of Graduation Week festivities for the class ahead.  The rings traditionally are placed in glasses of champagne and are caught in the teeth following a toast.  During the cadet's first-degree (senior) year, the ring is worn with the class crest facing the wearer; following graduation, the ring is turned so that the class crest faces out.  The rings of all the academies were originally designed to be worn on the left hand, so that the wearer reads the name of the academy on the bezel while a cadet or midshipman and others can read it after graduation, the rings are now worn on either hand.  The academy's Association of Graduates (AOG) accepts rings of deceased graduates which are melted down to form an ingot of white gold from which a portion of all future rings are made.<ref>{{cite web|title=Class Ring Heritage|publisher=Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy |url=http://www.usafa.org/Heritage/ClassRingHeritage.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070726105329/http://www.usafa.org/Heritage/ClassRingHeritage.aspx|archive-date=26 July 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Both the academy's Association of Graduates and the academy library maintain displays of class rings.