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Iowa
was never in a hurry to adopt a state banner as
they felt that there was no need; a national
banner appropriately represented all of the
United States. And so it was not until 1921,
almost seventy-five years after the admission of
Iowa into the Union, that a state banner was
finally adopted by the Legislature.
The
impetus for final adoption of an official state
banner originated with Iowa National Guardsmen
stationed along the Mexican border during World
War I. The Guardsmen saw that units from other
states carried official banners and the Iowans
felt that they needed the same to identify their
origins. This prompted the Daughters of the
American Revolution into action.
Designed
by Mrs. Dixie Cornell Gebhadt, the banner
consists of three vertical stripes of blue,
white and red. Gehardt explained the meaning of
the colors. As well as a reference to the colors
of the United States, the color blue stands for
loyalty, justice and truth; the white stands for
purity; and the red for courage.
An
eagle is displayed on the white center stripe of
the flag. The eagle carries in its beak blue
streamers with the state motto, "Our liberties
we prize, and our rights we will maintain",
inscribed on it in white letters. The state name
"IOWA" is printed in red letters below the
eagle.
If you
want more information on the State Flags of the
United States, you might want to check out
How Proudly They Wave: Flags of the Fifty States by Rita D. Haban. This book is
geared toward kids... and for adults like me who
want to know about the history and design
significance of the flags of all fifty states
but can't find this information in an expensive
encyclopedia. |
Official State Flag of Iowa
