Flag of Indiana
Encyclopedia
The flag of Indiana was designed by Paul Hadley and officially adopted by the state of Indiana
on May 31, 1917. It was the state's first official flag
and has remained unchanged since then except for the creation of a statute to standardize the production of the flag.
issued a resolution to adopt a state flag. At the request of the General Assembly, a contest was sponsored by the Indiana Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
to design a flag to serve as the official state banner. As an incentive to increase the number of submissions, the contest offered the winner a one hundred dollar cash prize. More than two hundred submissions were received and examined by the Society before a winner was selected. The entry created by Paul Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana
, was ultimately chosen as the winner of the contest and the cash prize.
On May 31, 1917, the flag was chosen as the state's official banner. The General Assembly made only one change to Hadley's original design, they added the word Indiana, in a crescent shape, over the top of the torch. The state banner was later renamed the state's flag in a new statute passed in 1955 that also standardized the dimensions of the flag.
that represents liberty
and enlightenment; the rays around the torch represent their far-reaching influence. The nineteen stars represent Indiana's place as the nineteenth state to join the United States
. The thirteen stars in the outer loop symbolize the original Thirteen Colonies
, the five inner stars represent the next five states added to the Union, and the one large star above the torch represents Indiana.
and the Indiana National Guard
. It is to be on display at the Indiana Statehouse at all times. The flag must also be displayed at any agency that is funded in part or in full by the state government, including public schools, state universities, and state parks. In all other respects the flag should be treated with the same care and respect as the flag of the United States
.
In late 2008, Tribune Broadcasting
station WTTV
in Indianapolis
began to use the flag's design as part of their station's logo.
A variation of the Indiana state flag was used as the Gotham flag in the 1989 "Batman" movie. The flag can be seen in the mayor's office.
The logo of Amoco Corporation
(formerly Standard Oil of Indiana) prominently features a torch to commemorate the company's Indiana origins.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
on May 31, 1917. It was the state's first official flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
and has remained unchanged since then except for the creation of a statute to standardize the production of the flag.
History
To commemorate the state's 1916 centennial anniversary, the Indiana General AssemblyIndiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
issued a resolution to adopt a state flag. At the request of the General Assembly, a contest was sponsored by the Indiana Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
to design a flag to serve as the official state banner. As an incentive to increase the number of submissions, the contest offered the winner a one hundred dollar cash prize. More than two hundred submissions were received and examined by the Society before a winner was selected. The entry created by Paul Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana
Mooresville, Indiana
Mooresville is a town in Brown Township, Morgan County, Indiana, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 9,326. It was founded in 1824 by Samuel Moore, a Quaker from North Carolina.-Geography:Mooresville is located at ....
, was ultimately chosen as the winner of the contest and the cash prize.
On May 31, 1917, the flag was chosen as the state's official banner. The General Assembly made only one change to Hadley's original design, they added the word Indiana, in a crescent shape, over the top of the torch. The state banner was later renamed the state's flag in a new statute passed in 1955 that also standardized the dimensions of the flag.
Iconography
The flag consists of a gold torchTorch
A torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
that represents liberty
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
and enlightenment; the rays around the torch represent their far-reaching influence. The nineteen stars represent Indiana's place as the nineteenth state to join the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The thirteen stars in the outer loop symbolize the original Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
, the five inner stars represent the next five states added to the Union, and the one large star above the torch represents Indiana.
Statute
The current statute that governs the design of the state flag states:The flags dimensions shall be three feet fly by two feet hoist; or five feet fly by three feet hoist; or any size proportionate to either of those dimensions. The field of the flag shall be blue with nineteen stars and a flaming torch in gold or buff. Thirteen stars shall be arranged in an outer circle, representing the original thirteen states; five stars shall be arranged in a half circle below the torch and inside the outer circle of stars, representing the states admitted prior to Indiana; and the nineteenth star, appreciably larger than the others and representing Indiana shall be placed above the flame of the torch. The outer circle of stars shall be so arranged that one star shall appear directly in the middle at the top of the circle, and the word "Indiana" shall be placed in a half circle over and above the star representing Indiana and midway between it and the star in the center above it. Rays shall be shown radiating from the torch to the three stars on each side of the star in the upper center of the circle.
Usage
Several others laws govern the use of the state flag. The flag is required to be flown by all state militiasIndiana Guard Reserve
The Indiana Guard Reserve, formerly the Liberty Guard and the Indiana Legion, is a militia force that serves as the State Defense Force of the State of Indiana. The Indiana Guard Reserve serves under the exclusive authority of the Governor of the State of Indiana through his executive agent for...
and the Indiana National Guard
Indiana National Guard
The Indiana National Guard is the armed force of the state of Indiana. It consists of the Indiana Army National Guard and the Indiana Air National Guard, and is part of the larger Army National Guard and the Air National Guard...
. It is to be on display at the Indiana Statehouse at all times. The flag must also be displayed at any agency that is funded in part or in full by the state government, including public schools, state universities, and state parks. In all other respects the flag should be treated with the same care and respect as the flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
.
In late 2008, Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
station WTTV
WTTV
WTTV is a CW-affiliated television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis television market. WTTV is owned by the Tribune Company, and is one-half of a duopoly with WXIN , the market's Fox affiliate. The two stations share a studio at 6910 Network Place on the northwest...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
began to use the flag's design as part of their station's logo.
A variation of the Indiana state flag was used as the Gotham flag in the 1989 "Batman" movie. The flag can be seen in the mayor's office.
The logo of Amoco Corporation
Amoco
Amoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
(formerly Standard Oil of Indiana) prominently features a torch to commemorate the company's Indiana origins.
See also
- List of Indiana state symbols
- Great Seal of the State of Indiana