Okla-homey
6/9/2006, 06:14 AM
June 9, 1988: OK legislature decides too much variation among flag manufacturers.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6430/flag20at20capitol7cp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The first Oklahoma State Flag adopted in 1911 was a simple affair, its color pallette modeled after the red, white and blue of the Stars and Stripes. The 1911 flag displayed a white star, edged in blue, centered on a field of red. Inside the star, the number "46" was shown; reference to Oklahoma as the 46th state to enter the union in 1907.
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/9692/ok19112dp.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The first Oklahoma State Flag flew from 1911 - 1925. It is said that the flag began to fall into disfavor after the Russian Revolution in 1917. The Red flag and single white star began to be too closely associated with symbols of socialism. Given that during the period from 1911 until 1925, Oklahoma had the nation's highest per capita population of agrarian socialists, you can perhaps understand the concern.
In 1924, a contest was announced to create a new design for the flag, one that more uniquely represented the diversity of cultures in the state of Oklahoma.
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/505/usok07a2sr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
A contender in the 1924 competition for a new state flag design
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1108/usok07b3vr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The flag that came in at second place. It incorporated the official state colrs of green and white but still featured the "commie" star.
For the state with the largest Native American population, it is easy to see why the design submitted by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr. was chosen and officially adopted by the State Legislature on April 2, 1925.
The 1925 flag, essentially the same as today's state flag, prominently displays an Osage warrior's shield made from buffalo hide and decorated with seven eagle feathers hanging from the lower edge. The shield is centered on a field of blue borrowed from the blue flag that Choctaw soldiers carried during the Civil War. This flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their ancestors.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8406/okfi3uq.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The winnah! Initially without "OKLAHOMA" beneath the shield. That was added in 1941. Personally, I prefer the art-deco style lettering for the state's name as seen here, but no one makes them that way anymore.
The shield is decorated with six white crosses (stars) representing high ideals. Superimposed over the shield are symbols of peace and unity from the cultures of the Native American and European-American settlers in the territory; the calumet or ceremonial peace pipe and the olive branch.
As mentioned in the caption above, the flag design was revisited in 1941. The state name "OKLAHOMA" was added to the 1925 design and is displayed in white letters below the shield. This change was not popular in some circles as it was felt that the design of the Oklahoma State Flag was significantly unique without this reminder.
Official Salute to the flag of Oklahoma
House Concurrent Resolution No. 1034
A Concurrent Resolution adopting an official salute to the Oklahoma State Flag.
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Legislature adopted Senate Joint Resolution No. 24 on May 9, 1941, which officially approved and adopted the present Oklahoma State Flag; and
WHEREAS, no official form of salute has been provided for the Oklahoma State Flag; and
WHEREAS, 1982 is Oklahoma's Diamond Jubilee Anniversary and an appropriate time for adopting a salute to the Oklahoma State Flag.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 2nd Session of the 38th Oklahoma Legislature, the Senate concurring therein:
THAT the following is adopted as the official salute to the Oklahoma State Flag:
"I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people."
House Concurrent Resolution No. 1034 was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives on April 22, by the Senate on May 18, and filed with the Secretary of State on May 19, 1982.
In 1988, the Oklahoma State Legislature again addressed the design of the state flag. Variations in color among manufacturers did not properly align with the spirit of the design and the 41st Oklahoma Legislature voted to rectify this:
"... it is truely fitting that the Oklahoma flag uniting the ancient lore of the Indian and the white man and symbolizing the peace of a united people should be standardized in color as an example of the solidarity and patriotism of such people; and
WHEREAS, Oklahoma is entering into its 100th year and the cultural and historic integrity of the Oklahoma state flag as designed by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr., and subsequently approved by the Oklahoma Legislature should be preserved and maintained."
Here's the most current and comprehensive list I could find of other state "official" things and their official dates of adoption by OUr legislature:
Amphibian: Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Adopted by House Concurrent Resolution 1026 on May 5, 1997. 1997
Animal: Bison (Bison bison) 1972
Anthem "Oklahoma!," lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rogers 1953
Beverage: Milk 1985
Bird: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Muscivora forficata) 1951
Butterfly: Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) 1996
Cartoon Character: GUSTY® 2005
Children's Song: "Oklahoma, My Native Land" composed and written by Martha Kemm Barrett 1996
Colors: Green and White 1915
Country & Western Song: "Faded Love" by John Willis and Bob Wills. Adopted by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 65 on February 2, 1988. 1988
Crystal: Hourglass Selenite Crystal 2005
Fish: White Bass, also called Sand Bass (Morone chrysops) 1974
Floral Emblem: Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) 1893
Flower: Oklahoma Rose 2004
Folk Dance: Square Dance 1988
Folk Song: "Oklahoma Hills" composed and written by Woody Guthrie and Jack Guthrie 2001
Fossil: Saurophaganax maximus 2000
Furbearer Animal: Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 1989
Fruit: Strawberry 2005
Game Animal: White-tail deer (Odocoileus virginians) 1990
Game Bird: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1990
Grass: Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) 1972
Insect: Honeybee (Apis millifera) 1992
Meal: Fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas. 1988
Musical Instrument: Fiddle 1984
Percussive Musical Instrument: Drum 1993
Pin: "OK" pin 1982
Poem: "Howdy Folks" by David Randolph Milsten 1973
Poet Laureate: Appointed by the Governor for a period of two years, appointment made by January 1 of every odd year. 1994
Reptile: Mountain Boomer or Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) 1969
Rock : Rose Rock (Barite rose) commonly known and referred to as the "rose rock" or "Cherokee tear rock" 1968
Salute to the Oklahoma Flag: 1982
Soil: Port Silt Loam (Cumulic haplustolls) 1987
Song: "Oklahoma!," lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rogers 1953
Tartan: Oklahoma Tartan adopted with House Concurrent Resolution No. 1025 (1999)
Design by Jerrel Murray, of Oklahoma City, OK. Adopted on May 27, 1999. House Concurrent Resolution No. 1025. Officially registered with the Scottish Tartan Society in Scotland. The tartan’s red, white, black, and gold on a field of blue represent people, agricultural and manufactured products, and natural resources.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8548/tartan1to.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Theatre: Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma, Inc. 1971
Tree: Redbud (Cercis canadensis) 1937
Waltz: "Oklahoma Wind" by Dr. Dale J. Smith 1982
Western Band: "The Sounds of the Southwest" 1997
Wild Flower: Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) 1986
Sports team: The University of Oklahoma Sooners (just kidding, but they should be:D )
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/441/prideofoklahoma2004oct2316fg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
World's largest Oklahoma flag
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/9012/insane7zo4nb.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6430/flag20at20capitol7cp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The first Oklahoma State Flag adopted in 1911 was a simple affair, its color pallette modeled after the red, white and blue of the Stars and Stripes. The 1911 flag displayed a white star, edged in blue, centered on a field of red. Inside the star, the number "46" was shown; reference to Oklahoma as the 46th state to enter the union in 1907.
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/9692/ok19112dp.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The first Oklahoma State Flag flew from 1911 - 1925. It is said that the flag began to fall into disfavor after the Russian Revolution in 1917. The Red flag and single white star began to be too closely associated with symbols of socialism. Given that during the period from 1911 until 1925, Oklahoma had the nation's highest per capita population of agrarian socialists, you can perhaps understand the concern.
In 1924, a contest was announced to create a new design for the flag, one that more uniquely represented the diversity of cultures in the state of Oklahoma.
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/505/usok07a2sr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
A contender in the 1924 competition for a new state flag design
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1108/usok07b3vr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The flag that came in at second place. It incorporated the official state colrs of green and white but still featured the "commie" star.
For the state with the largest Native American population, it is easy to see why the design submitted by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr. was chosen and officially adopted by the State Legislature on April 2, 1925.
The 1925 flag, essentially the same as today's state flag, prominently displays an Osage warrior's shield made from buffalo hide and decorated with seven eagle feathers hanging from the lower edge. The shield is centered on a field of blue borrowed from the blue flag that Choctaw soldiers carried during the Civil War. This flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their ancestors.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8406/okfi3uq.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The winnah! Initially without "OKLAHOMA" beneath the shield. That was added in 1941. Personally, I prefer the art-deco style lettering for the state's name as seen here, but no one makes them that way anymore.
The shield is decorated with six white crosses (stars) representing high ideals. Superimposed over the shield are symbols of peace and unity from the cultures of the Native American and European-American settlers in the territory; the calumet or ceremonial peace pipe and the olive branch.
As mentioned in the caption above, the flag design was revisited in 1941. The state name "OKLAHOMA" was added to the 1925 design and is displayed in white letters below the shield. This change was not popular in some circles as it was felt that the design of the Oklahoma State Flag was significantly unique without this reminder.
Official Salute to the flag of Oklahoma
House Concurrent Resolution No. 1034
A Concurrent Resolution adopting an official salute to the Oklahoma State Flag.
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Legislature adopted Senate Joint Resolution No. 24 on May 9, 1941, which officially approved and adopted the present Oklahoma State Flag; and
WHEREAS, no official form of salute has been provided for the Oklahoma State Flag; and
WHEREAS, 1982 is Oklahoma's Diamond Jubilee Anniversary and an appropriate time for adopting a salute to the Oklahoma State Flag.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 2nd Session of the 38th Oklahoma Legislature, the Senate concurring therein:
THAT the following is adopted as the official salute to the Oklahoma State Flag:
"I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people."
House Concurrent Resolution No. 1034 was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives on April 22, by the Senate on May 18, and filed with the Secretary of State on May 19, 1982.
In 1988, the Oklahoma State Legislature again addressed the design of the state flag. Variations in color among manufacturers did not properly align with the spirit of the design and the 41st Oklahoma Legislature voted to rectify this:
"... it is truely fitting that the Oklahoma flag uniting the ancient lore of the Indian and the white man and symbolizing the peace of a united people should be standardized in color as an example of the solidarity and patriotism of such people; and
WHEREAS, Oklahoma is entering into its 100th year and the cultural and historic integrity of the Oklahoma state flag as designed by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr., and subsequently approved by the Oklahoma Legislature should be preserved and maintained."
Here's the most current and comprehensive list I could find of other state "official" things and their official dates of adoption by OUr legislature:
Amphibian: Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Adopted by House Concurrent Resolution 1026 on May 5, 1997. 1997
Animal: Bison (Bison bison) 1972
Anthem "Oklahoma!," lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rogers 1953
Beverage: Milk 1985
Bird: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Muscivora forficata) 1951
Butterfly: Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) 1996
Cartoon Character: GUSTY® 2005
Children's Song: "Oklahoma, My Native Land" composed and written by Martha Kemm Barrett 1996
Colors: Green and White 1915
Country & Western Song: "Faded Love" by John Willis and Bob Wills. Adopted by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 65 on February 2, 1988. 1988
Crystal: Hourglass Selenite Crystal 2005
Fish: White Bass, also called Sand Bass (Morone chrysops) 1974
Floral Emblem: Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) 1893
Flower: Oklahoma Rose 2004
Folk Dance: Square Dance 1988
Folk Song: "Oklahoma Hills" composed and written by Woody Guthrie and Jack Guthrie 2001
Fossil: Saurophaganax maximus 2000
Furbearer Animal: Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 1989
Fruit: Strawberry 2005
Game Animal: White-tail deer (Odocoileus virginians) 1990
Game Bird: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1990
Grass: Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) 1972
Insect: Honeybee (Apis millifera) 1992
Meal: Fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas. 1988
Musical Instrument: Fiddle 1984
Percussive Musical Instrument: Drum 1993
Pin: "OK" pin 1982
Poem: "Howdy Folks" by David Randolph Milsten 1973
Poet Laureate: Appointed by the Governor for a period of two years, appointment made by January 1 of every odd year. 1994
Reptile: Mountain Boomer or Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) 1969
Rock : Rose Rock (Barite rose) commonly known and referred to as the "rose rock" or "Cherokee tear rock" 1968
Salute to the Oklahoma Flag: 1982
Soil: Port Silt Loam (Cumulic haplustolls) 1987
Song: "Oklahoma!," lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rogers 1953
Tartan: Oklahoma Tartan adopted with House Concurrent Resolution No. 1025 (1999)
Design by Jerrel Murray, of Oklahoma City, OK. Adopted on May 27, 1999. House Concurrent Resolution No. 1025. Officially registered with the Scottish Tartan Society in Scotland. The tartan’s red, white, black, and gold on a field of blue represent people, agricultural and manufactured products, and natural resources.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8548/tartan1to.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Theatre: Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma, Inc. 1971
Tree: Redbud (Cercis canadensis) 1937
Waltz: "Oklahoma Wind" by Dr. Dale J. Smith 1982
Western Band: "The Sounds of the Southwest" 1997
Wild Flower: Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) 1986
Sports team: The University of Oklahoma Sooners (just kidding, but they should be:D )
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/441/prideofoklahoma2004oct2316fg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
World's largest Oklahoma flag
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/9012/insane7zo4nb.jpg