The poisoning of Toomer’s Oaks hits most of us deeper than one story can tell. Much of the media coverage surrounding the controversial act speaks highly of Auburn’s rich history, but a recent article for ESPN: The Magazine honored Auburn’s legacy on a deeper level.

The story featured Auburn Engineering alum Maury Gaston, an ‘82 mechanical engineering graduate, and his family. Gaston is a third generation Auburn student whose grandfather sold the family farm so Gaston’s father could attend Auburn. His father purchased a seedling from Toomer’s Oaks before he passed away in 2005, and Gaston’s grandmother still rolls the oak that grows in their backyard in his honor. Gaston, a Birmingham resident, maintains his family legacy with a Toomer’s tree in his own front yard, grown from his father’s oak.

Keep up with the oaks auburn.edu/oaks

[miniflickr photoset_id=72157627861195741&sortby=date-posted-asc&per_page=10]