State flag
The
flag of Missouri
, often referred to as the
Missouri flag
, is the
state flag
of the
U.S. state
of
Missouri
. It consists of a
triband
of three equal horizontal stripes colored red, white, and blue, with the
arms
from the
Great Seal of Missouri
in the center. Designed by
Mary Elizabeth Oliver
, the red and white stripes represent valor and purity, respectively. The blue stripe represents the permanency, vigilance, and justice of the state. The three colors also highlight the French influence on the state in its early years. The Missouri flag was established on March 22, 1913, when governor
Elliot Woolfolk Major
signed the State flag act making it official.
[
citation needed
]
History
[
edit
]
The design of the state flag has been modified officially once since 1861. The current version is the longest-used and has been in use since March 22, 1913
; 111 years ago
(
1913-03-22
)
(See infobox).
[1]
First flag
[
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]
Missouri
|
|
Use
| State flag
|
---|
Proportion
| 5:6
|
---|
Adopted
| June 5, 1861
; 163 years ago
(
1861-06-05
)
|
---|
Relinquished
| May 11, 1865
; 159 years ago
(
1865-05-11
)
[b]
|
---|
Design
| Arms of Missouri in
gold
centered on a blue
field
.
|
---|
Designed by
| Robert Wells
(arms only)
|
---|
|
Missouri did not have an official flag until Major-General
Sterling Price
, commander of the
Missouri State Guard
,
[2]
ordered on June 5, 1861:
Each
regiment
will adopt the State flag, made of blue
merino
, 6 by 5 feet, with the Missouri
coat-of-arms
in gold
gilt
on each side.
[3]
Flag Act of 1913
[
edit
]
The Missouri state flag was designed and stitched in
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
, by
Marie Elizabeth Oliver
,
[4]
the wife of former state senator R. B. Oliver. She began his flag project in 1908 as part of her volunteer activities with the
Daughters of the American Revolution
when she was appointed chairperson of the Daughters of the American Revolution committee to research and design Missouri's flag. Oliver researched
state flags
extensively. She wrote each state's secretary of state for information about how their state's flags had been designed and officially adopted. Her original design incorporated Missouri's coat of arms and was rendered as a painted paper flag by her friend Mary Kochitzky.
[4]
The flag was brought to the
Missouri State Capitol
in 1908 and bills to adopt the flag as the official flag of Missouri were introduced by Senator Arthur L. Oliver, her nephew, in 1909 and 1911. Both bills failed to pass in the House. A competing flag design, by G. H. Holcomb and referred to as the "Holcomb flag", was opposed due to its resemblance to the
flag of the United States
and its lack of Missouri symbolism.
[1]
Oliver's original paper flag was destroyed when the Missouri State Capitol burned in 1911. With Mrs. S. D. MacFarland, Oliver sewed a second flag out of silk. Her design was adopted on March 22, 1913, when governor
Elliot Woolfolk Major
signed the Oliver Flag Bill.
[5]
The flag design remains unchanged to this day. The silk flag was kept by Marie Oliver until 1961 when her son Allen gave it to the state of Missouri. The flag was displayed until it began to deteriorate and was put into storage. In 1988, Secretary of State
Roy D. Blunt
issued a challenge to elementary students to raise money to restore the flag. The campaign was successful and the restored flag has been displayed in the
James C. Kirkpatrick
State Information Center in Jefferson City ever since.
[4]
The
Oliver-Leming House
, also known as the Home of the Missouri State Flag, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
[6]
Design
[
edit
]
The flag is a tricolor consisting of three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue which resembles the flag of the
Netherlands
. These represent valor, purity, vigilance, and justice. The colors also reflect the state's historic status as part of
French Louisiana
. In the center white stripe is the
seal of Missouri
, circled by a blue band containing 24 stars, symbolizing Missouri's admission as the 24th
U.S. state
.
[1]
The seal itself also contains 24 stars, and incorporates the
Great Seal of the United States
, which contains a further 13 stars, bringing the flag's grand total to 61 stars. The seal further includes the state motto,
Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto
, which translates from Latin as "The health (welfare, good, salvation, felicity) of the people should be the supreme law." The flag is described in Section 010.020 of Missouri's Revised Statutes. There are no known examples of mass-produced Missouri state flags in compliance with the RSMo due to the 7:12 proportions.
[
citation needed
]
It is one of two U.S. state flags to feature a bear, the other being the flag of
California
. It is also one of nine U.S. state flags to feature an eagle, alongside those of
Illinois
,
Iowa
,
Michigan
,
New York
,
North Dakota
,
Oregon
,
Pennsylvania
and
Wyoming
.
In 2001, the
North American Vexillological Association
surveyed its members on the designs of the 72
U.S. state
,
U.S. territorial
and
Canadian provincial
flags. The Missouri flag ranked in the bottom 25, 48th out of the 72.
[7]
See also
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]
Notes
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]
References
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]
External links
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]