Into the Sunset: Tribute to Will Rogers
by Brittany White
This Statue has made a permanent mark on the hearts of every Red Raider; it is one of Tech's finest icons.
Will Rogers donated $200 for the Tech band to play at the football game. He wanted people to hear a real band. During the trip to Fort Worth to play TCU, Rogers was encouraged by his long-time friend Amon G. Carter to put up $1,500 to buy the band new uniforms. Carter matched Rogers contribution. In 1948, the Amon G. Carter Foundation presented Texas Tech a statue of Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds. They called "Riding into the Sunset." Some say the horse's rear end faces Texas A&M, one of Tech's rivals.
The statue is wrapped in red crepe paper before each Tech football game or basketball game. It is occasionally wrapped in black to honor serious occasions.