The flag of the U.S. state of Missouri was adopted on March 22, 1913, when governor Elliot Woolfolk Major signed the State flag act making it official. Its design consists of a triband of three equal horizontal stripes colored red, white, and blue, with the state coat of arms in the center.

The design was created by Mary Elizabeth Oliver, a Cape Girardeau native. 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.

Statute

thumb|Scan of the original H.B. 329 from the Missouri Session Laws, designating the new Missouri state flag.

thumb|The original design of the Missouri state flag.

The 2024 Missouri Revised Statutes, Title II, Chapter 10, § 10.020 provides that the official flag of Missouri shall be:

The statute further provides that "the original copy of the design shall be kept in the office of the secretary of state," and that the flag shall conform to the design illustrated in the official state publication (on adjoining page 154 of RSMo 1949).

Supporters are white or grizzly bears rampant and guardant, positioned on the right (dexter) and left (sinister) of the shield. The bears stand on a scroll inscribed with the motto "Salus populi suprema lex esto" and beneath it the Roman numerals "MDCCCXX."

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.

History

Pre-Official flags (before 1913)

thumb|200px| State flag described by Major-General [[Sterling Price, designed by Robert Wells (arms only).]]

On June 5, 1861, at the outset of the Civil War, General Orders No. 8, issued by Major-General Sterling Price, directed that each regiment of the Missouri State Guard adopt "the state flag." The order describe the state flag as made of blue merino fabric, measuring six by five feet, with the Missouri coat of arms in gold gilt on each side. These flags were to be mounted on nine-foot pikes.

In addition, mounted companies were to carry guidons, smaller flags of white merino, measuring three by two and a half feet, with the letters "M.S.G." in gilt. The flag adopted by the regiments of the Missouri State Guard is not regarded as an official state flag.

Current Flag (1913–present)

The Missouri state flag was designed and stitched in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, by Marie Elizabeth Oliver, 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. 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.

Other flags

None of these flags were ever adopted by the state legislature.

In 1839, the first state flag was made. It featured a silk white field with the states coat of arms painted in the center. The reason they chose white as the background is because the white fabric makes colors appear more vibrant.

During the 1844 Whig National Convention state delegates carried with the a 2 banner one was described as having the states coat of arms with "Missouri" in gold below it. The banner was made by the women of the state.

During the Civil War one of the Union regiments carried a state flag featuring a blue field with the coat of arms in white.

In 1886, a veterans parade was being held in San Francisco, California. During the parade a group of Missourians carried with them a state flag described as having a white field with the states coat of arms in the center.

In 1901, a committee was organized to buy flags for the up coming Louisiana Purchase Exposition. They brought 4 flags, 2 streamers, 1 national flag, and 1 state flag which had a blue field bearing the coat of arms of the state in the middle.

Before Marie Elizabeth Oliver started her project on the state flag there was an unofficial banner used by the state that bore the state's coat of arms.

On February 3, 1913 in Washington D.C. a huge suffragist parade was held. Before the march suffragist from the state displayed a banner bearing the state's coat of arms in the middle.<gallery widths="200" heights="100">

File:Historical Missouri State Flag from 1886.png|Reconstruction of an unofficial state flag from 1886

File:2nd Missouri Infantry Regimental Flag (1917).png|Reconstruction of the 2nd Missouri Infantry regimental flag, 1917

</gallery>

== See also == <!-- EDITORS NOTE: This section should primarily contain lists linked to the main article which are directly related to the flag. Thank you. -->

  • List of flags by design
  • List of Missouri state symbols
  • List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia
  • Flag of Kansas City
  • Flag of St. Louis

Notes

References

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  • The Missouri State Flag at Missouri Secretary of State

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