Alaska State Flag

The Flag of the 49th State was adopted in 1927. It was designed by a thirteen year old seventh grader named Benny Benson. His design won a state contest in 1926.

Benny submitted this text with his design: ''The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not (Alaska state flower). The North Star is for the future State of Alaska, the most Northerly in the nation. The Dipper is for the Great Bear - symbolizing strength.''

The first time the Alaska flag was flown was on July 9, 1927. Here is a description of the event as reported in the July 11, 1927 Seward Gateway:

'' At the hour of 4 o'clock p.m., Saturday (July 9), the official flag of Alaska was flung to the breezes for the first time on the flagpole at the Jesse Lee Home, one and a half mile north of the City of Seward. Those officiating at the cermony were Captian Ralph P. Guthrie of the United Satates Signal Corps and Privates Edwin S. Diehl and Charles Harris.

Benny Benson, 13 year old student of the Jesse Lee Home, designer of the flag, attached it to the halyards just before the National Anthem, and stood at attention while the multicolored folds of Old Glory and the deep violet blue of Alaska's official emblem, studded with the golden stars of the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star, fluttered about him.

While the people of the home sang the National Anthem, the troop of Boy Scouts standing at attention and in salute, and citizens of Seward and dignitaries of the Methodist Episcopal Church stood uncovered, the halyards tightened and climbing into the brilliant sunshine of a perfect day, Old Glory led her child to the top-most heights of the towering flagpole, where both strightened out and fluttered proudly in the cooling breezes blowing in from Resurrection Bay.''

The Resurrection Bay Historical Society Museum is the home of one of the two original Alaska Flags... the other is in Juneau along with Benny Benson's watch he received from the contest. Most all the information on Benny Benson is on display in this Seward museum. They have no web URL so you will need to write to the addsess below for information.