Arizona State Flags

Arizona was first visited by a Spanish Franciscan monk in 1539. His name was Marcos de Niza. Arizona became part of the United Mexican States in 1824, and was passed (after the Mexican War) to the USA in 1848. The name is believed to come from "arida-zona", the Spanish words for "dry belt". In the southwest on the Colorado River between the USA and Mexico is Arizona, containing the Grand Canyon. First settled in 1752, then part of Mexico. Part of this huge territory ceded by Mexico to the USA in 1848, which became a territory in 1863, and was admitted to the Union on 14 February 1912.

Who Designed the Arizona State Flag?

The birth of the Arizona State Flag can be traced back to the 1910 National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio before Arizona officially entered the Union. The idea for the design of the flag was conceived of by Colonel Harris and by Carl Hayden, Arizona's first representative in Congress who went on to become a United States Senator. Their first priorities for the design were that it contain historical values and that its colors should reflect those values.

Charles Wilfred Harris, Colonel in the Arizona National Guard, served as the captain of the unit’s rifle team in 1910. During the rifle competition at Camp Perry, Ohio, the Arizona team was the only team without an emblem of any kind. Colonel Harris was chiefly responsible for the creation of the rifle team flag that in 1917 became the Arizona State Flag. Several individuals appear to have played a role in the creation of the state's first official flag as well including W. R. Stewart of Mesa was working in conjunction with Colonel Harris, who was the Arizona Adjutant General and head of the Arizona National Guard. Stewart, as President of the Mesa Rifle Team, felt compelled to design a flag for competition.

When was the Arizona State Flag Adopted?

Arizona was the 48th state admitted to the Union on February 12, 1912. Just five years after attaining statehood, Arizona adopted its state flag. The state flag, which was based on Harris' design, became official in February 1917, five years after statehood. However, the flag wasn't unveiled to the public until several months later, making some Arizonans restless.

The flag was adopted on February 17, 1917, by the 3rd Arizona Legislature. It was passed into law without the signature of Governor Thomas Campbell. The governor did not officially state his reasons for taking no action on the bill. The blue, red, yellow and copper flag was adopted despite numerous dissenting votes and then Governor Campbell's refusal to sign the bill.

What is the Design of the Arizona State Flag?

The field of the Arizona state flag is divided in half. The top portion contains 13 “rays” of alternating red and old gold, and the bottom half is solid blue. A copper colored star is featured in the center of the flag. The specific colors of copper and gold have not been set down in law. The suggested flag size is four by six feet, with the star being two feet tall.

Measuring four feet high and six feet wide, the flag is divided into a top and bottom half with a large five-point copper star in the center. The lower half of the flag is a field of blue, the same Liberty Blue found in the United States' Flag. The red found in the rays of the setting sun is also the same shade of red found in the United States' Flag. The Blue of the lower half of the flag and the yellow of the western setting sun are the Arizona State Colors. The red and yellow colors found in the rays are the colors flown by the Spanish Conquistadors led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in his unsuccessful search for the Seven Cities of Cibola in 1540.

What is the Meaning of the Design of the Arizona State Flag?

Unlike many other state flags, which were based on military colours or other banners flown during the Civil War (1861–65), Arizona’s design was inspired by the state’s own natural setting. The flag consists of 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half, the colors of the flag of Spain, representing the 13 original U.S. states. The red and yellow also symbolize Arizona's picturesque sunsets. The copper star represents the copper mining industry in Arizona. The rest of the flag is colored blue, representing the Colorado River. The center star signifies copper production (Arizona produces more copper than any other state in the country).

What is the Proper Display of the Arizona State Flag?

The Arizona state flag serves as a symbol of honor, heritage and regional pride and is displayed at state buildings. The Arizona Flag is also flown on national and state holidays and on any other days proclaimed by the governor. There is an Order of Precedence for flags. State Flags are displayed in order as they entered the Union.

Accodring to the Arizona flag law:

A. The state flag shall be displayed alongside the flag of the United States on or in front of the state capitol building, and institutional and educational buildings of the state as the governor directs, on or in front of the courthouse of each county, and other institutional buildings of each county as the board of supervisors directs, and on or in front of the city or town hall of each incorporated city or town, and other municipally owned buildings as the governing body of the municipality directs.

B. On the death of an incumbent elective state officer, each state flag displayed pursuant to subsection A shall be flown at half-staff for a period of seven days beginning on the day following the death of the officer.

C. The flag of the United States shall be displayed in each hearing room in the state house of representatives and state senate in accordance with title 4 of the United States Code and a legible copy of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights shall be displayed adjacent to the flag.