Flag of the President of the United States
Encyclopedia
The Flag of the President of the United States consists of the presidential coat of arms
on a dark blue background. While having the same design as the presidential seal since 1945, the flag has a separate history, and the designs on the flag and seal have at different times influenced each other. The flag is often displayed by the President in official photos, flown next to the coffin of the president in official funeral processions, and flown on the President's motorcade
. The President's flag is never lowered at half staff upon the death of a former president or the incumbent as there is always a President in office. The current flag is defined in :
Attached to the order were illustrations of the seal and flag, and also a set of "specifications" for the flag, which defines more precise colors for the elements than does the blazon of the coat of arms:
During the committee discussions which eventually led to the Flag Act of 1818, an additional flag was proposed which was to indicate the President's presence at places he visited. The design divided the flag into four quarters: the upper left was the white stars on a blue background (same as the national flag); the lower left had a Goddess of Liberty
on a white background; the upper right had an eagle emblem on a white background, and the lower right had the thirteen red and white stripes. This flag was not seriously considered and was not adopted. Samuel Chester Reid
, who proposed this design, made a drawing of it years later which showed the eagle and Liberty in switched positions, and had the stars arranged in a larger star.
It is possible that distinctive flags were occasionally used to represent the President on individual occasions; there are claims that a special flag was used during a trip by President Jackson
to New York City in 1832.
An 1848 British flag book by John William Norie
, and also the 1853 The Illustrated London Geography by Joseph Guy, have similar illustrations of a flag labeled as being the U.S. president's flag. Neither book reveals any further information about this flag, and such a flag is not mentioned in the Army Institute of Heraldry's detailed page on presidential flags nor other books on the flag's history. The design is simply a version of the national coat of arms (i.e. the obverse of the Great Seal
), which was a common motif for flags representing heads of state and also the same basic concept used in the later presidential flag of the Navy. Both depictions also use an arc of clouds for the crest, a style which was later (and still is) used on the presidential seal. The 1848 book shows a 26-star U.S. flag, which was in use from 1837 to 1845 (the depicted presidential flag also has 26 stars).
As the President is Commander-in-Chief
of the Army and Navy, each service developed its own tradition of honoring the President, which eventually led each to design their own presidential flag. This did not happen until the late 19th century however, and the Navy at first used existing flags for their ceremonies.
The first record in regulations to prescribe a flag for the President was the 1858 Signals for the Use of the United States Navy, which specified that the union jack
(the canton of the national flag by itself, i.e. blue with white stars for all the states) should be flown at the mainmast
to signify the presence of the commander-in-chief. In 1863, this was changed to use the national flag
instead, but in 1864 was reverted so that once again the jack was used. The Naval Regulations of April 18, 1865, switched back to use the national flag, specifying it should be flown both from the mainmast while the President is aboard a ship, and also on the bow of boats on which he embarks. The 1866 Naval Signal Code (possibly not in effect until 1867) changed back to use the union flag, and on December 31, 1869, the change was reverted yet again, with the national ensign being flown on a ship while the President was aboard. This practice continued until 1882.
An illustration of the flag was published in the 1882 Flags of Maritime Nations, a Navy publication. As this was before the 1885 redesign of the Great Seal, this flag showed an eagle with bent legs, somewhat like the Great Seal design at the time. The crest of the coat of arms was omitted however, and instead an arc of thirteen stars was used, above the eagle and on either side of the wings. The eagle, arrows, and olive branch were all in white.
The flag was first used by Arthur on a trip to Florida in 1883. It was used primarily aboard boats, such as on the presidential yacht USS Dolphin
in 1893 for a naval fleet review during celebrations related to the 400th anniversary of Columbus
. There were some exceptions though, such as during the centennial of Washington's inauguration in 1889, and by a hotel proprietor during a presidential trip to New York City in 1897.
At some point before the turn of the century (possibly in 1897; the 1899 Flags of Maritime Nations showed the new version), the design on the flag was changed to match the Tiffany design of the Great Seal and be in full color. The text of the naval orders did not change, as this was a change in the coat of arms itself. This design was used by the Navy until 1916.
In early 1898, during the lead-up to the Spanish-American War
and following its first flag for an individual (the Secretary of War) in 1897, it was noted that the Army did not have its own flag for the president, the commander-in-chief. The Navy flag was too similar to the Army infantry flag (which was also primarily the Great Seal on a blue background), so a different design was needed.
Frederick D. Owen, a civilian engineer working in the War Department, came up with a flag which met the approval of Secretary of War Alger
and President McKinley
, and was officially announced by General Orders No. 13 on March 28, 1898. The order specified both a presidential flag, and a presidential color
of the same design. The color was more meant for ceremonial purposes, was smaller than the flag, made of silk, and had a gold and silver fringed border. The dimensions of the flag were 8 by 13 ft (2.4 by 4 m), and the dimensions of the color were 4 by 6.5 ft (1.2 by 2 m).
The flag was scarlet, with a large blue star in the middle outlined in white which contained the Great Seal. There were four white stars in each corner, and scattered between the angles of the large central star were 45 small white stars, representing the 45 states. This flag was placed in the cabinet room in the White House during the war, and was first shown in public during peace jubilee celebrations in Chicago and Philadelphia in October, 1898.
In 1908, following the admission of Oklahoma
as a state, a 46th star was added at the bottom. One of these flags was given to Theodore Roosevelt
as a gift, and one hangs today in Roosevelt's home at Sagamore Hill
.
In March 1901, the German naval attaché
in Washington inquired as to the proper use of the flags when rendering honors abroad, as having two flags to represent a head of state was a unique situation. After discussions, and perhaps influenced by Secretary of State John Hay who noted that the Navy flag had come first and claimed that McKinley had never approved the Army version, President Roosevelt
decided that there should only be one official flag for the president and chose the Navy's version. On November 12, 1901, Roosevelt's secretary sent out a letter with the decision, saying it was primarily because the Navy flag was older. While the Army later updated its regulations to use the Navy design for its flag, they retained their own definition of the presidential color, so its design lived on and was still used in many situations.
Subsequently, a third flag was designed and introduced in May 1902. This flag also showed the Great Seal on a blue background, like the Navy flag, but the eagle, scroll, and arrows were depicted in pure white outlined in black. The crest above the eagle's head was also different; instead of a ring of clouds the constellation of stars was only surrounded by a circular set of rays. This flag was supposedly to be used in times of peace only, with the original two flags still being used by their respective services in times of war. Several photos show this design was in fact used, such as at a Columbus Day celebration in 1912, on the presidential yacht Mayflower
during a naval review in New York Harbor
on October 14, 1912, and in a 1914 magazine article about the flag-making operation at the New York Navy Yard, where the flag is described as taking a full month to make (the longest of any of their flags). However, the Navy flag with the full-color eagle was also used during this period, as seen in photographs during the July 1911 groundbreaking for the Panama-California Exposition
.
In 1912, President Taft appointed a Flag Board to discuss aspects of the upcoming 48-star flag. As part of their recommendations, they noted that there were two official flags used for the president, though incorrectly stating the designs were identical except for the background color (red for the Army flag and blue for the Navy), and recommended that a single presidential flag be adopted. Taft subsequently issued Executive Order 1556 on June 24, 1912, and an updated Executive Order 1637 on October 29, which defined the precise dimensions of the 48-star flag. Both orders additionally state that "the color of the field of the President's Flag shall be blue". This left the Navy flag unchanged, but did force a change in the Army version, and so on February 20, 1913 an order was duly issued which switched the background of the Army presidential color to blue and the color of the star in the middle to scarlet. A 46th star had previously been added to the Army color in 1908, and the blue version was also updated to have 48 stars.
On September 29, 1915, President Wilson
watched a march by the Grand Army of the Republic
where the reviewing stand displayed both the presidential flag and the Army's presidential color. Afterwards, this led to discussions on the situation which (among others) included Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Franklin D. Roosevelt
and the Aide to the Secretary of the Navy Byron McCandless
. According to McCandless, when asked for suggestions on a design for a single presidential flag, he suggested adding four white stars in the corners of the Navy flag, which would differentiate the flag enough from the infantry colors to make it acceptable for use by the Army. Wilson liked the idea, but wanted the president's eagle (from the presidential seal, which faced to its left) on the flag instead of the Great Seal. To demonstrate this, Wilson showed McCandless the Martiny plaque of the presidential seal then in the floor of the Entrance Hall
of the White House, and also a full-color print of the seal he had likely obtained from the Philadelphia firm of Bailey Banks & Biddle
. This print was used as the basis for the official drawings of the new flag.
On May 29, 1916, President Wilson issued Executive Order 2390, which officially changed to the new design. The eagle was almost entirely white with black stitching, except for the beak, legs and feet which were in yellow. The arrows were also white, though the olive branch was in color (green leaves and light green olives). There were thirteen clearly defined white cloud puffs in an arc, with the rays of the glory in gold. There were four large stars, one in each corner. The dimensions were 10.2 by 16 ft (3.1 by 4.9 m).
The next revisions of the Navy and Army regulations changed their definitions of the flag (and in the Army's case, the color as well) to conform to the new design, meaning there finally was just one presidential flag, and it was used until 1945.
in 1945, a process which began with inquiries by President Roosevelt
(who had been involved with the creation of the 1916 flag) shortly before his death. The new flag used the same basic design for the eagle, except (in response to some heraldic criticisms) changed the eagle to face towards its right (dexter
, the direction of honor) and thus towards the olive branch, and the eagle was changed to be in full color. Instead of the four stars, a circular ring of 48 stars was added around the eagle.
Truman issued on October 25, 1945, which unified the coat of arms, flag, and seal to use the new design. The flag was first flown at the commissioning of the two days later. The only changes have been to add more stars for new states; President Eisenhower
issued on May 26, 1959 (effective July 4) to add a star for Alaska
, and later issued on February 5, 1960 (again effective the following July 4) to add a 50th star for Hawaii
. The design has not changed since.
, a designer of many early U.S. Army insignia and coats of arms, made a series of watercolors of older presidential flags.
Seal of the President of the United States
The Seal of the President of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the U.S. president to the United States Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency. The central design, based on the Great Seal of the United States, is the official coat of arms of the U.S...
on a dark blue background. While having the same design as the presidential seal since 1945, the flag has a separate history, and the designs on the flag and seal have at different times influenced each other. The flag is often displayed by the President in official photos, flown next to the coffin of the president in official funeral processions, and flown on the President's motorcade
Motorcade
A motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade was coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
. The President's flag is never lowered at half staff upon the death of a former president or the incumbent as there is always a President in office. The current flag is defined in :
Attached to the order were illustrations of the seal and flag, and also a set of "specifications" for the flag, which defines more precise colors for the elements than does the blazon of the coat of arms:
Early presidential flags
Liberty (goddess)
Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British "Britannia" or the Irish "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
on a white background; the upper right had an eagle emblem on a white background, and the lower right had the thirteen red and white stripes. This flag was not seriously considered and was not adopted. Samuel Chester Reid
Samuel Chester Reid
Samuel Chester Reid was an officer in the United States Navy who commanded a privateer during the War of 1812. He is also noted for having helped design the 1818 version of the flag of the United States, which first established the rule of keeping thirteen stripes and adding one star for each U.S...
, who proposed this design, made a drawing of it years later which showed the eagle and Liberty in switched positions, and had the stars arranged in a larger star.
It is possible that distinctive flags were occasionally used to represent the President on individual occasions; there are claims that a special flag was used during a trip by President Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
to New York City in 1832.
An 1848 British flag book by John William Norie
John William Norie
John William Norie , was a mathematician, hydrographer, chart maker and publisher of nautical books most famous for his Epitome of Practical Navigation which became a standard work on navigation and went through many editions as did many of Norie's works.Norie began his career working with William...
, and also the 1853 The Illustrated London Geography by Joseph Guy, have similar illustrations of a flag labeled as being the U.S. president's flag. Neither book reveals any further information about this flag, and such a flag is not mentioned in the Army Institute of Heraldry's detailed page on presidential flags nor other books on the flag's history. The design is simply a version of the national coat of arms (i.e. the obverse of the Great Seal
Great Seal of the United States
The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it...
), which was a common motif for flags representing heads of state and also the same basic concept used in the later presidential flag of the Navy. Both depictions also use an arc of clouds for the crest, a style which was later (and still is) used on the presidential seal. The 1848 book shows a 26-star U.S. flag, which was in use from 1837 to 1845 (the depicted presidential flag also has 26 stars).
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Army and Navy, each service developed its own tradition of honoring the President, which eventually led each to design their own presidential flag. This did not happen until the late 19th century however, and the Navy at first used existing flags for their ceremonies.
The first record in regulations to prescribe a flag for the President was the 1858 Signals for the Use of the United States Navy, which specified that the union jack
Jack of the United States
The jack of the United States is a maritime flag representing United States nationality flown on the jackstaff in the bow of its vessels. The U.S. Navy is a prime user of jacks, but they are also used by ships of the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
(the canton of the national flag by itself, i.e. blue with white stars for all the states) should be flown at the mainmast
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
to signify the presence of the commander-in-chief. In 1863, this was changed to use the national flag
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...
instead, but in 1864 was reverted so that once again the jack was used. The Naval Regulations of April 18, 1865, switched back to use the national flag, specifying it should be flown both from the mainmast while the President is aboard a ship, and also on the bow of boats on which he embarks. The 1866 Naval Signal Code (possibly not in effect until 1867) changed back to use the union flag, and on December 31, 1869, the change was reverted yet again, with the national ensign being flown on a ship while the President was aboard. This practice continued until 1882.
1882 Navy flag
In the spring of 1882, Chester Arthur noted that the heads of state of many other countries had their own flag, but the President of the United States did not. His cabinet agreed, and Arthur himself apparently decided on the final design. On August 9, 1882, the Navy issued the order: "The flag of the President of the United States shall consist of a blue ground with arms of the United States in the center, and shall be of the dimensions prescribed for the admiral's flag [10.2 by 14.4 ft (3.1 by 4.4 m)]. The flag shall be hoisted at the main of vessels of war while the President is on board, and shall be carried in the bow of his boat."An illustration of the flag was published in the 1882 Flags of Maritime Nations, a Navy publication. As this was before the 1885 redesign of the Great Seal, this flag showed an eagle with bent legs, somewhat like the Great Seal design at the time. The crest of the coat of arms was omitted however, and instead an arc of thirteen stars was used, above the eagle and on either side of the wings. The eagle, arrows, and olive branch were all in white.
The flag was first used by Arthur on a trip to Florida in 1883. It was used primarily aboard boats, such as on the presidential yacht USS Dolphin
USS Dolphin (PG-24)
USS Dolphin —a gunboat/dispatch vessel—was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the dolphin. Dolphins keel was laid down by John Roach & Sons of Chester, Pennsylvania. She was launched on 12 April 1884, with Captain George Dewey in command, and commissioned on 8 December 1885...
in 1893 for a naval fleet review during celebrations related to the 400th anniversary of Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
. There were some exceptions though, such as during the centennial of Washington's inauguration in 1889, and by a hotel proprietor during a presidential trip to New York City in 1897.
At some point before the turn of the century (possibly in 1897; the 1899 Flags of Maritime Nations showed the new version), the design on the flag was changed to match the Tiffany design of the Great Seal and be in full color. The text of the naval orders did not change, as this was a change in the coat of arms itself. This design was used by the Navy until 1916.
1898 Army flag
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and following its first flag for an individual (the Secretary of War) in 1897, it was noted that the Army did not have its own flag for the president, the commander-in-chief. The Navy flag was too similar to the Army infantry flag (which was also primarily the Great Seal on a blue background), so a different design was needed.
Russell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was the 20th Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...
and President McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, and was officially announced by General Orders No. 13 on March 28, 1898. The order specified both a presidential flag, and a presidential color
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
of the same design. The color was more meant for ceremonial purposes, was smaller than the flag, made of silk, and had a gold and silver fringed border. The dimensions of the flag were 8 by 13 ft (2.4 by 4 m), and the dimensions of the color were 4 by 6.5 ft (1.2 by 2 m).
The flag was scarlet, with a large blue star in the middle outlined in white which contained the Great Seal. There were four white stars in each corner, and scattered between the angles of the large central star were 45 small white stars, representing the 45 states. This flag was placed in the cabinet room in the White House during the war, and was first shown in public during peace jubilee celebrations in Chicago and Philadelphia in October, 1898.
In 1908, following the admission of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
as a state, a 46th star was added at the bottom. One of these flags was given to Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
as a gift, and one hangs today in Roosevelt's home at Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located at the end of Cove Neck Road in the Incorporated Village of Cove Neck, New York, on Long Island, 25 miles east of Manhattan. Sagamore Hill is located within...
.
1902 flag
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
in Washington inquired as to the proper use of the flags when rendering honors abroad, as having two flags to represent a head of state was a unique situation. After discussions, and perhaps influenced by Secretary of State John Hay who noted that the Navy flag had come first and claimed that McKinley had never approved the Army version, President Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
decided that there should only be one official flag for the president and chose the Navy's version. On November 12, 1901, Roosevelt's secretary sent out a letter with the decision, saying it was primarily because the Navy flag was older. While the Army later updated its regulations to use the Navy design for its flag, they retained their own definition of the presidential color, so its design lived on and was still used in many situations.
Subsequently, a third flag was designed and introduced in May 1902. This flag also showed the Great Seal on a blue background, like the Navy flag, but the eagle, scroll, and arrows were depicted in pure white outlined in black. The crest above the eagle's head was also different; instead of a ring of clouds the constellation of stars was only surrounded by a circular set of rays. This flag was supposedly to be used in times of peace only, with the original two flags still being used by their respective services in times of war. Several photos show this design was in fact used, such as at a Columbus Day celebration in 1912, on the presidential yacht Mayflower
USS Mayflower (PY-1)
USS Mayflower was the second ship in the United States Navy to have that name. Mayflower — a luxurious steam yacht built in 1896 by J. and G. Thompson, Clydebank, Scotland — was purchased by the Navy from the estate of Ogden Goelet and commissioned at New York Navy Yard on 24 March 1898,...
during a naval review in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
on October 14, 1912, and in a 1914 magazine article about the flag-making operation at the New York Navy Yard, where the flag is described as taking a full month to make (the longest of any of their flags). However, the Navy flag with the full-color eagle was also used during this period, as seen in photographs during the July 1911 groundbreaking for the Panama-California Exposition
Panama-California Exposition (1915)
The Panama-California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California between March 9, 1915 and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first U.S. port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward...
.
1912 Army color
1916 flag
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
watched a march by the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
where the reviewing stand displayed both the presidential flag and the Army's presidential color. Afterwards, this led to discussions on the situation which (among others) included Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and the Aide to the Secretary of the Navy Byron McCandless
Byron McCandless
Commodore Byron McCandless was a longtime U.S. Navy officer who was awarded the Navy Cross during World War I and the Legion of Merit during World War II. He was also prominent in the field of vexillology , and helped design two separate versions of the Flag of the President of the United States...
. According to McCandless, when asked for suggestions on a design for a single presidential flag, he suggested adding four white stars in the corners of the Navy flag, which would differentiate the flag enough from the infantry colors to make it acceptable for use by the Army. Wilson liked the idea, but wanted the president's eagle (from the presidential seal, which faced to its left) on the flag instead of the Great Seal. To demonstrate this, Wilson showed McCandless the Martiny plaque of the presidential seal then in the floor of the Entrance Hall
Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall is the primary and formal entrance to the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room is rectilinear in shape and measures approximately 31 by 44 feet...
of the White House, and also a full-color print of the seal he had likely obtained from the Philadelphia firm of Bailey Banks & Biddle
Bailey Banks & Biddle
Bailey Banks & Biddle is an online and store retailer of jewelry in America. Its principal offices are in Carrollton, Texas and it has six retail stores in Dallas, Houston and Austin Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, King of Prussia , Pennsylvania and Little Rock, Arkansas.- History :Bailey & Kitchen,...
. This print was used as the basis for the official drawings of the new flag.
The next revisions of the Navy and Army regulations changed their definitions of the flag (and in the Army's case, the color as well) to conform to the new design, meaning there finally was just one presidential flag, and it was used until 1945.
Current flag
The flag was changed by President TrumanHarry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in 1945, a process which began with inquiries by President Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
(who had been involved with the creation of the 1916 flag) shortly before his death. The new flag used the same basic design for the eagle, except (in response to some heraldic criticisms) changed the eagle to face towards its right (dexter
Dexter and sinister
Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms and by extension also to a crest. "Dexter" means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer...
, the direction of honor) and thus towards the olive branch, and the eagle was changed to be in full color. Instead of the four stars, a circular ring of 48 stars was added around the eagle.
Truman issued on October 25, 1945, which unified the coat of arms, flag, and seal to use the new design. The flag was first flown at the commissioning of the two days later. The only changes have been to add more stars for new states; President Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
issued on May 26, 1959 (effective July 4) to add a star for Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, and later issued on February 5, 1960 (again effective the following July 4) to add a 50th star for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The design has not changed since.
Gallery
Edward C. KuhnEdward C. Kuhn
Master Gunner and Master Sergeant Edward C. Kuhn was an official U.S. Army artist who designed the first authorized coats of arms and distinctive unit insignia for the Coast Artillery Corps , Engineer Corps, Cavalry, Infantry, National Guard and other branches...
, a designer of many early U.S. Army insignia and coats of arms, made a series of watercolors of older presidential flags.
See also
- Seal of the President of the United StatesSeal of the President of the United StatesThe Seal of the President of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the U.S. president to the United States Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency. The central design, based on the Great Seal of the United States, is the official coat of arms of the U.S...
- Flag of the Vice President of the United StatesFlag of the Vice President of the United StatesThe Flag of the Vice President of the United States consists of the vice presidential coat of arms on a white background, with four dark blue stars in the corners...
- Flags of Governors of the U.S. StatesFlags of Governors of the U.S. StatesThe flags of governors of the U.S. states are personal flags of the governor of each state that has such a flag. This is similar in concept to the standards of the President and Vice President of the United States....
- Great Seal of the United StatesGreat Seal of the United StatesThe Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it...