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Use | Civil and state flag ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Proportion | 5:8 |
Adopted |
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Design | A sky blue field with a version (in navy blue on white) of the state seal in the center, surrounded by gold triangles representing the sun's rays, surrounded in turn by inscriptions in gold sans-serif capitals of "south dakota" on top and "the mount rushmore state" (the state nickname) on the bottom. |
The current flag of South Dakota was adopted in 1992 to represent the U.S. state of South Dakota. It consists of a field of sky blue charged with a version (in navy blue on white) of the state seal in the center, surrounded by gold triangles representing the sun's rays, surrounded in turn by inscriptions in gold sans-serif capitals of "south dakota" on top and "the mount rushmore state" (the state nickname) on the bottom. The sun represents the common weather in South Dakota.
The first state flag was designed and adopted in 1909. This original flag was bi-faced, with a sun motif on one side and the state seal on the other. A redesign in 1963 embedded the state seal inside the original flag's sun motif. The inscription on the bottom was "the sunshine state" before it was changed in 1992.
The first flag of South Dakota was designed by Ida McNeil in 1909. [1] Ernest May, a state legislator from Deadwood, approached South Dakota Department of History superintendent Doane Robinson about the lack of a state flag. McNeil was then a legislative reference librarian at the state department. [2] McNeil later recalled that during their meeting, Robinson turned to her and told May, "Miss Anding [a] will make you a flag". [3] [4]
Seth Bullock, a Deadwood lawman, is sometimes credited as having brought forth the original request for a state flag to May, who in turn brought it to the state department. This claim might have originated from a 1948 edition of The Wi-Iyohi, a monthly bulletin published by the South Dakota State Historical Society. [5] However, South Dakota historians and biographers of Bullock have not uncovered any evidence supporting this claim, and Robinson's 1925 Encyclopedia of South Dakota did not include any mention of Bullock's involvement. [1] [3]
Robinson only requested that the flag include a sun motif, as the state receives a considerable amount of sunshine, and also suggested placing the state seal on the reverse side. [3] This first flag was made from silk upon which McNeil first placed the sun's appliqué and then embroidered its rays. The phrases "south dakota" and "the sunshine state" were embroidered in arcs surrounding the sun. The state seal was then painted on a second piece of silk, which was attached to the back of the first piece to make a two-sided flag. [4]
Senate Bill 208 was introduced and passed on November 9, 1909. [6] It stated: [7]
The Flag of South Dakota shall consist of a field of blue, one and two-thirds as long as it is wide, in the center of which shall be a blazing sun in gold, two-fifths as wide in diameter as the width of the flag. Above this sun shall be arranged in the arc of the circle, in gold letters, the words 'South Dakota' and below this sun in the arc of the circle shall be arranged the words in gold letters, 'The Sunshine State', and on the reverse of the blazing sun shall be printed in dark blue the Great Seal of the State Of South Dakota. The edges of the flag shall be trimmed with a fringe of gold, to be in proportion to the width of the flag. The staff shall be surmounted by a spearhead to which shall be attached cord and tassels of suitable length and size.
The first two flags went to the Secretary of State and Seth Bullock. Bullock's flag is now preserved at the state archives. [6]
In 2015, the original state flag was reported as missing from the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, within whose office the flag had been on display, and department employee Theresa Bray initially noted the disappearance on January 2. The capitol conducted internal searches for several weeks but was unable to find the flag. It was then reported to the Legislative Audit office, who then referred it to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. In October 2015, the flag was recovered in Washington, D.C. from a former state employee, [8] who had removed it from storage in 2013 while repairs were being done to the display. [9]
By 1963, the need for a revised flag was evident. The two-sided design was difficult and costly to reproduce—about $75 for materials in 1963 (equivalent to $746in 2023) [10] —and McNeil recreated the flags upon request for various state organizations. The designs on both sides often showed through to the other. [4]
William Sahr, a state representative from Hughes County, introduced House Bill 503 to redesign the state flag, reducing it down to one side and moving the state seal to inside the sun motif. His design kept the wording from the original. [3] McNeil supported the redesign but was against transposing the state seal onto the front, stating, "Many states use state seals on their flags and if we copy their efforts... we will lose the individuality of our flag". [4] The measure passed and was signed into law on March 11, 1963. [6]
On February 3, 1966, the South Dakota Legislature approved a further measure to create the Special State Flag Account, which set aside funds for the production and purchasing of new flags, and directed the finance department to keep on hand a stock of flags to be distributed as needed. [11]
Following the adoption of the new state nickname as "the Mount Rushmore state", State Representative Gordon Pederson introduced a new bill to change the wording on the state flag. Although the new design was adopted and remains in use today, the 1963 and 1992 bills both included language that the previous versions of the state flag were still valid to use. [6]
1992 statute outlines the exact specifications for production of the flag: [6]
The state flag or banner shall consist of a field of sky-blue one and two-thirds as long as it is wide. Centered on such field shall be the great seal of South Dakota made in conformity with the terms of the Constitution, which shall be four-ninths, the width of the flag in diameter. The seal shall be on a white background with the seal outlined in dark blue or, in the alternative, shall be on a sky-blue background with the seal outlined in dark blue thereon. Surrounding the seal in gold shall be a serrated sun whose extreme width shall be five-ninths the width of the flag. The words "South Dakota" symmetrically arranged to conform to the circle of the sun and seal shall appear in gold letters one-eighteenth the width of the field above the sun and seal and the words "The Mount Rushmore State" in like-sized gold letters and in like arrangement shall appear below the sun and seal. Flags designed of such material as may be provident for outdoor use need have no fringe but flags for indoor and display usage shall have a golden fringe one-eighteenth the width of the flag on the three sides other than the hoist.
The official pledge of the South Dakota flag is, "I pledge loyalty and support to the flag and state of South Dakota, land of sunshine, land of infinite variety." The only protocol to the state flag pledge is that it does not either replace or preempt the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States. [6] [12]
In 2001, vexillologists rated 72 flags representing US states and Canadian provinces and territories. South Dakota’s flag was rated as the fifth worst. [13] [14]
The flag of South Dakota does not meet modern flag design principles, [b] especially with the city seal in the center. [15] Vexillologists deride flags with a seal as "SOBs", or "seals on a bedsheets", [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] because seals were designed for pieces of paper. [15] [16] Like South Dakota’s, over half of US state flags have a seal on a blue background, which makes them indistinguishable from each other at a distance. [21] Moreover, South Dakota’s flag has both a seal and lettering, in which the name of the state appears twice in what should be a graphic symbol. [15]
In January 2012, Representative Bernie Hunhoff sponsored a bill to adopt a new design for the state flag based on artwork by Dick Termes of Spearfish, South Dakota. [22] Hunhoff introduced the bill on January 25, 2012; it was referred to the State Affairs committee. [23] On February 6, [23] the bill was amended to create the South Dakota State Flag Commission, which would have solicited submissions from the public for new flag designs and selected one to be considered by the 2013 legislature as the new state flag. [24] Immediately after being amended, the bill was "deferred to the 41st legislative day". [23] Since the South Dakota legislative session is only 40 days long, this type of deferral effectively kills legislation. [25]
In January 2024, another bill that would have created a South Dakota state flag design commission was killed in the same manner to the 2012 proposal. [26]
The flag of Oregon is a two-sided flag in navy blue and gold with an optional gold fringe. On the front is the escutcheon from the state seal and on the reverse is a gold figure of a beaver, the state animal. Oregon is the only U.S. State to feature different designs on both sides of its flag.
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakota, United States. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, named it the Shrine of Democracy, and oversaw the execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features the 60-foot-tall (18 m) heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, chosen to represent the nation's birth, growth, development, and preservation. Mount Rushmore attracts more than two million visitors annually to the memorial park which covers 1,278 acres. The mountain's elevation is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.
The flag of the state of Michigan is a coat of arms set on a dark blue field, as set forth by Michigan state law. The governor has a variant of the flag with a white field instead of blue one. The state has an official flag month from June 14 through July 14.
The Lone Star Flag is the official flag of the U.S. state of Texas. The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is highly popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence and esteem within Texas. Along with the flag of Hawaii, it is one of two state flags to have previously served as a national flag of an independent country. In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, territorial, and Canadian provincial flags and ranked the Texas flag second, behind New Mexico.
The flag of the state of North Carolina, often referred to as the North Carolina flag, N.C. flag, or North Star, is the state flag of the U.S. state of North Carolina.
The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Modern U.S. state flags date from the turn of the 20th century, when states considered distinctive symbols for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I.
The Ohio Burgee is the official flag of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a distinctive triangular swallowtail flag. Its red, white, and blue elements symbolize the state's natural features and order of admission into the Union. A prominent disc in the flag's triangular canton is suggestive of the state's name. The flag was adopted in 1902.
The flag of the U.S. state of Colorado was officially adopted on June 5, 1911. The flag, designed by Andrew Carlisle Carson, consists of a fess design of three horizontal stripes of equal width, with the top and bottom stripes colored blue, and the middle stripe colored white. A circular red "C", filled with a golden disk, sits atop the stripes. All aspects of the flag contain symbolism related to the state, as the blue is meant to represent the sky, the gold the abundant sunshine the state receives, the white the snowcapped Rocky Mountains, and the red the "ruddy" earth. The gold and white portions of the flag also represent the state's gold and silver mining industries, respectively.
The flag of Louisiana consists of a rectangular field of blue with the arms of Louisiana, a pelican vulning herself, in white in the center, with a ribbon beneath, also in white, containing in blue the state motto: "Union Justice Confidence". The flag was officially adopted July 1, 1912, and is often referred to as the Pelican flag.
The state flag of the U.S. state of Minnesota consists of a dark blue field representing the night sky and the state's shape, an eight-pointed star representing the North Star, and a bright blue field representing the state's abundant waters; the star is based on one prominently featured in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda.
The flag of the U.S. state of Nevada consists of a cobalt blue field with a variant of the state's emblem in the upper left-hand corner. The emblem constitutes a silver star, with the state's name below. Above the star is a golden-yellow scroll with the words "Battle Born", one of the state's mottos. Below the star and state name are two sprays of green sagebrush with yellow flowers.
The flag ofthe state of New Mexico, also referred to as the New Mexican flag, is a State flag, consisting of a sacred red sun symbol of the Zia tribe on a field of gold (yellow). It was officially adopted in March 15, 1925, to highlight the state's Indigenous and Hispanic heritage: it combines the symbol of Puebloan people, who have ancient roots in the state, with the colors of the flag of Spain, symbolizing the Spanish empire, which had established and ruled over “Nuevo México” for over two and a half centuries.
The Beehive Flag is the official flag of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a horizontal tricolor with irregular bands of blue, white, and red. The middle white band contains a blue hexagon outlined in gold. Within the hexagon lies a gold-colored beehive with a five-pointed white star below it.
The Great Seal of the State of Illinois is the official emblem of the U.S. state of Illinois, and signifies the official nature of a document produced by the state. The present seal was designed and proposed in 1868 and officially adopted in 1869. It depicts in profile a bald eagle perched on a rock with wings spread and holding a shield, with a banner in its beak and sunrise over water in the background. It replaced an earlier seal that was almost the same as the Great Seal of the United States, adopted when Illinois became a state in 1818.
"Hail! South Dakota!" is the regional anthem of South Dakota, selected by popular vote as the official state song. It was written and composed by DeeCort Hammitt (1893-1970).
The flag of Pittsburgh is the official municipal flag of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a vertical bicolor triband of black and gold with the municipal coat of arms in the center.
The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota is the state seal of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was adopted on May 11, 2024, alongside the state flag, for Statehood Day. It features a common loon, Minnesota's state bird, wild rice, the state grain, and the North Star, representing the state's motto, and is themed around Minnesota's nature. In the inner circle is the phrase Mni Sóta Makoce, the Dakota term for "Land where the water reflects the sky," which is the origin of the state's name.
The current city flag of El Paso, Texas is an augmentation of the city's seal in the center of a dark blue field, which has been in place since 1962.
Ida McNeil was an American broadcaster and the designer of the first state flag of South Dakota. She and her husband, Dana McNeil, founded KGFX, in Pierre, South Dakota, one of the first radio stations in South Dakota, in 1927. She continued to run the station after his death in 1936 until her retirement in 1962. She has been nicknamed "Mrs. Pierre" for her work in broadcasting and "the Betsy Ross of South Dakota" for her state flag design.
This is a list of U.S. state flags that have been submitted to state legislatures or have received media coverage.
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