Alumna Designs 10th Anniversary Official Ornament

She spent days outside of the Jones AT&T Stadium trying to draw an exact duplication of its west side.

“It got to the point where I thought I would be arrested. I thought they would think I was stalking someone inside,” Laney says, with a laugh.

To Laney however, she was not designing any ordinary decoration. The product of all her long hours, the 2006 Official Texas Tech Ornament is an intricate representation of the West side of Jones AT&T Stadium. It’s finished in 24-carat gold and displays the name of the university in bold letters across the bottom.

“I wanted a product that Tech people could use in their offices all year around,” Laney says.

Margaret Lutherer, the executive director of the Office of Communications and Marketing, a division supporting the President’s Office, agrees with Laney, saying the Texas Tech bauble is not just for Christmas anymore.

“Even though people usually buy the ornament during the holidays, we sell it throughout the year,” says Lutherer. “We sell many during student orientation.”

Down to the Last Detail

The beauty of the 2006 ornament is in its three-dimensional representation and precise detail, even down to duplicating the exact color of the roof and bricks, says Laney.

“I want the ornaments that I do to always have dimensions. They are so much classier than a two-dimensional ornament,” says Laney. “Little details matter to collectors. I want all buyers to think the ornaments are classy and beautiful representations, even if the average buyer doesn’t know why they think it is so beautiful.”

A proud Texas Tech alumna, Laney designed three of the ornaments in the Texas Tech collection and served as inspiration for the first edition ornament. She graduated from Texas Tech in 1965 and says she owes much of her happiness to the university. She met her husband, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Pete Laney, while they were students and both of her children have graduated from the university with high honors.

“I loved every single moment that we had in college,” says Laney. “I loved every minute of my time at Tech. I have no bad memories of my college years at all. There are some wonderful people there.”

Because of this fierce pride in her alma mater, Laney envisions and creates beautiful, moving trinkets that remind students of their time at Texas Tech. For inspiration, Laney goes right where she feels most at home.

“They had just asked me to create the 2004 ornament and I drove on to the Texas Tech campus to see what could be my design,” says Laney. “The first thing I saw was the stone seal at the main entrance, and I said ‘Ah ha!’”

Laney’s experience in designing accessories extends beyond Texas Tech. For seven years, Laney designed the State of Texas Ornaments as part of the Texas Capital Project, which she started. The project sold more than 300,000 ornaments and raised more than $2 million to restore the capitol building and fund educational programs within the capitol. Laney recently finished designing her 24th ornament as part of her volunteer efforts.

An Ornamental Idea: The History behind the Tradition

One day in 1997, Cappy Ritter, the former director of special events under former Chancellor John Montford, noticed one of Laney’s ornaments.  This ornament was the 1997 State of Texas Ornament, depicting the official seal of the State of Texas in a 24-carat gold finished design.

Inspired, Ritter immediately began plans to create an official university decoration that could be used to raise money for Texas Tech, while giving patrons a beautiful image commemorating their university experience.

Always one to recognize a good idea, Debra Montford, wife of Chancellor Emeritus Montford, called Nelda Laney. She gave Texas Tech permission to model its first attempt after her 1996 State of Texas Ornament design, which featured the dome of the Capital building encircled by golden arches.

The first Official Texas Tech Ornament came out a few months later. The bell towers of the Administration Building became the inspiration for the design of the first edition ornament. With majestic arches circling over the golden bell tower, the trinket encouraged memories of the Victory Bells, which can be heard throughout campus after an athletic victory.

At first, the Office of the Chancellor assumed the responsibilities of selling the first edition ornament and used the profits to further beautify the campus by planting trees. Then in 2004, President Jon Whitmore expressed an interest in using profits from the bauble to support the students of Texas Tech by giving grants to student organizations for events or projects that they would not otherwise be able to fund.

Giving Back to Students

Last year, the Office of the President awarded more than $18,000 in grants raised from ornament sales to 18 registered student organizations. The groups eligible to receive the proceeds are diverse; last year, the groups ranged from the Knight Raiders, Texas Tech’s chess club, to an organization interested in fashion, to an advertising group. This year, Office of the President staff hope to award the profits from the 2006 ornament to at least 20 different organizations.

Cathy Kay, director of presidential events, says student organizations can register online throughout October each year.

“We are still trying to get the word out about the money,” Kay says. “I wish more student groups would apply. [The ornament] is an excellent opportunity for students to get money for their organizations.”

Lutherer agrees. She says the ornaments are so popular now because they create a special feeling of remembrance for alumni and former employees.

“The ornaments are beautiful representations of spots and traditions on campus that have meaning for people,” Lutherer says.

Laney says she wants students to remember the beauty of the Texas Tech campus in the detail she puts into her work.

“One thing I think is outstanding about Tech is that we embrace the old,” says Laney. “Our campus is so beautiful. We have such handsome buildings that have stayed with the Spanish renaissance style. Even the new ones like the United Spirit Area have that traditional style.”