The State Flag of Iowa

The state flag of Iowa is a tri-color flag, partitioned horizontally into red, white and blue sections, as a testament to the state's past as part of the Louisiana territory.

Design

In the center of the flag is a bald eagle, the national bird of the United States. In the beak is a ribbon, with the words, "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain," which is from the state seal of Iowa. Below the ribbon is the word, "Iowa." Simple in design, the flag manages to pay homage to the state's French past, while also embodying a very American symbol.

History

Adopted on March 12, 1921, the flag has not changed since that time. Originally approved and designed in 1917, Dixie Cornell Gebhardt, leader of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Iowa during World War I, created the pattern, since Iowa had no flag at the beginning of the war. She submitted the flag to the Iowa Council on National Defense; it was accepted and manufacturing began in 1921.

Iowa's state flag has not changed much since its selection. In over 90 years, the flag has remained static, but its message and what it stands for continues to persevere, under the heavy gaze of unending time. That the flag continues to remain relevant, with little to no opposition speaks to the foresight of Dixie Gebhardt, and how well the flag embodies the symbols and spirit Iowa stands for.