Long Time, No See

When maroon-blooded former student Kelly Nix ’87 took ownership of a pair of senior Corps of Cadets boots after her mother and sister purchased them at a Bryan antique store in 2002, they became a staple display in her home. But in 2016, a new journey began when she discovered a name on their inside lining: “Guynes, W.A.”

“I was determined to find him and return the boots,” Nix said. After identifying the owner as Dr. William “Allison” Guynes ’60 and connecting with his son, she learned that Guynes had lost possession of the boots inadvertently. His mother had sold them after he’d graduated from Texas A&M University and moved to New Orleans to study thoracic medicine at Tulane University—a discovery he made when he arrived home the following Christmas break.

“In characteristically generous spirit, he forgave the incident, and aside from telling the story occasionally, he forgot about them,” said Guynes’ wife, Catherine, who spoke to us in light of his declining health. When the boots arrived via UPS to the couple’s home in Taos, New Mexico, in June 2017 looking more worn but carefully packaged, Guynes was ecstatic about their reappearance. “He immediately attempted to put his many-years-older feet in them,” Catherine recalled. “Of course, it was futile but simply worth trying.” 

Nix and Guynes kept in touch over the years, and a mutual interest in fly fishing brought Nix and her husband, David ’80, to the Guyneses’ home in 2018. “We had the most wonderful time and connected easily over our shared Aggie bond,” Nix said. “Knowing that these boots were so important to Allison made their return so special.”