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Heft designed the 50-star American Flag in 1958 as a class project in his junior-year high-school history class, cutting up an old flag that belonged to his grandparents. His teacher, Stanley Pratt, gave him a [[Academic grading in the United States|B-]] for the project, but after discussion agreed that if the flag design was accepted by the [[United States Congress]], he would reconsider the grade. Heft enlisted the aid of his congressman, [[Walter Moeller]], who lived nearby, and the 50-star flag design that was the same as Heft's was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation in 1959 after the admission of [[Alaska]] into the union and before that of [[Hawaii]]. According to Heft, Pratt honored their agreement and changed his grade to an [[Academic grading in the United States|A]] for the project.<ref name=Ohio/><ref name="fnrasmussentbs">{{cite news |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-backstory-1960-flag-20100702,0,1768337,full.story |last=Rasmussen |first=Frederick N. |title=A half-century ago, new 50-star American flag debuted in Baltimore |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=July 3, 2010 }}</ref> Heft has also stated he had [[copyrighted]] designs for American flags with 51 to 60 stars.<ref>Hooker, Lisa R. (1988). [http://www.thewritewordsltd.com/writingsamples.php?nam=history "History Writing Samples"]. The Write Words, Ltd. Retrieved January 1, 2014.</ref> |
Heft designed the 50-star American Flag in 1958 as a class project in his junior-year high-school history class, cutting up an old flag that belonged to his grandparents. His teacher, Stanley Pratt, gave him a [[Academic grading in the United States|B-]] for the project, but after discussion agreed that if the flag design was accepted by the [[United States Congress]], he would reconsider the grade. Heft enlisted the aid of his congressman, [[Walter Moeller]], who lived nearby, and the 50-star flag design that was the same as Heft's was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation in 1959 after the admission of [[Alaska]] into the union and before that of [[Hawaii]]. According to Heft, Pratt honored their agreement and changed his grade to an [[Academic grading in the United States|A]] for the project.<ref name=Ohio/><ref name="fnrasmussentbs">{{cite news |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-backstory-1960-flag-20100702,0,1768337,full.story |last=Rasmussen |first=Frederick N. |title=A half-century ago, new 50-star American flag debuted in Baltimore |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=July 3, 2010 }}</ref> Heft has also stated he had [[copyrighted]] designs for American flags with 51 to 60 stars.<ref>Hooker, Lisa R. (1988). [http://www.thewritewordsltd.com/writingsamples.php?nam=history "History Writing Samples"]. The Write Words, Ltd. Retrieved January 1, 2014.</ref> |
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When Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 flag designs were spontaneously submitted to President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. Although some of them were 49-star versions, the vast majority were 50-star proposals. At least three, and probably more, of these designs were identical to Heft's adopted design of the 50-star flag. Archived in the [[Eisenhower Presidential Center]] in [[Abilene, Kansas]], only a small fraction of the proposed designs have ever been published.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} |
When Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 flag designs were spontaneously submitted to President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. Although some of them were 49-star versions, the vast majority were 50-star proposals. At least three, and probably more, of these designs were identical to Heft's adopted design of the 50-star flag. Archived in the [[Eisenhower Presidential Center]] in [[Abilene, Kansas]], only a small fraction of the proposed designs have ever been published.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} The Eisenhower Presidential Library, www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/flag.html, states as follows: |
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“As early as 1953, members of the Eisenhower Administration were considering how a new flag would be created to include stars for the admission of the potential new states of Alaska and Hawaii. . . . . On July 14, 1953 President Eisenhower declared that his preferred method to select a flag design was to appoint a joint committee with six members: three representatives from the Armed forces and one each from the Interior Department, State Department and Commission on Fine Arts. |
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In September, 1958 the White House staff decided the time had finally come to determine the procedure for selecting the 49-star flag design. On October 16, 1958 the White House issued a press release stating that the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury, along with the Chairman of the Commission on Fine Arts were appointed to informally propose the new flag designs to the President. In September 1958, Acting Secretary of the Army, had already sent designs for the 49-star and 50-star flags to the Secretary of Defense that included the designs that would be ultimately selected by the President. At a Cabinet meeting on November 19, 1958, President Eisenhower received a briefing on the history of the flag design process and several suggestions were made regarding designs for the new flags. The President stated a preference for seven staggered rows of seven stars and those at the meeting concurred that this kind of arrangement would easily allow for the addition of the 50th star.” |
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==Death== |
==Death== |
Revision as of 12:55, 27 August 2016
Robert G. Heft | |
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![]() Robert G. Heft on December 5, 2009, seven days before his death. | |
Born | Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. | January 19, 1941
Died | December 12, 2009 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 68)
Cause of death | Heart attack |
Known for | Designer of the 50-star flag |
Robert G. "Bob" Heft (January 19, 1941 – December 12, 2009) was the designer of the current American 50-star flag as well as a designer of a submitted 51-star flag proposal.[1] He spent his childhood in Lancaster, Ohio, where he created the American flag as a school project.
Early life and education
Heft was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but was raised by his grandparents in Lancaster, Ohio, where he graduated from Lancaster High School in 1960. He subsequently studied at Ohio State University and Ohio University.[2]
Career
After high school, Heft worked as a draftsman. He later taught history at Lancaster High and at Northwest State Community College in Archbold. He also served seven terms as mayor of Napoleon, Ohio.[2] After retiring from teaching, he became a motivational speaker. He was a longtime-member of the Harvey Spaulding Toastmasters club in Saginaw, where he earned the nickname "Father Time" as he often filled the role of timer during meetings.[citation needed]
Flag design and adoption
Heft designed the 50-star American Flag in 1958 as a class project in his junior-year high-school history class, cutting up an old flag that belonged to his grandparents. His teacher, Stanley Pratt, gave him a B- for the project, but after discussion agreed that if the flag design was accepted by the United States Congress, he would reconsider the grade. Heft enlisted the aid of his congressman, Walter Moeller, who lived nearby, and the 50-star flag design that was the same as Heft's was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation in 1959 after the admission of Alaska into the union and before that of Hawaii. According to Heft, Pratt honored their agreement and changed his grade to an A for the project.[2][3] Heft has also stated he had copyrighted designs for American flags with 51 to 60 stars.[4]
When Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 flag designs were spontaneously submitted to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although some of them were 49-star versions, the vast majority were 50-star proposals. At least three, and probably more, of these designs were identical to Heft's adopted design of the 50-star flag. Archived in the Eisenhower Presidential Center in Abilene, Kansas, only a small fraction of the proposed designs have ever been published.[citation needed] The Eisenhower Presidential Library, www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/flag.html, states as follows:
“As early as 1953, members of the Eisenhower Administration were considering how a new flag would be created to include stars for the admission of the potential new states of Alaska and Hawaii. . . . . On July 14, 1953 President Eisenhower declared that his preferred method to select a flag design was to appoint a joint committee with six members: three representatives from the Armed forces and one each from the Interior Department, State Department and Commission on Fine Arts.
In September, 1958 the White House staff decided the time had finally come to determine the procedure for selecting the 49-star flag design. On October 16, 1958 the White House issued a press release stating that the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury, along with the Chairman of the Commission on Fine Arts were appointed to informally propose the new flag designs to the President. In September 1958, Acting Secretary of the Army, had already sent designs for the 49-star and 50-star flags to the Secretary of Defense that included the designs that would be ultimately selected by the President. At a Cabinet meeting on November 19, 1958, President Eisenhower received a briefing on the history of the flag design process and several suggestions were made regarding designs for the new flags. The President stated a preference for seven staggered rows of seven stars and those at the meeting concurred that this kind of arrangement would easily allow for the addition of the 50th star.”
Death
Heft spent his last years in Saginaw, Michigan, where many of his family lived. On December 12, 2009, he died from a heart attack at Covenant Medical Center at the age of 68.[5]
References
- ^ Social Security Death Index
- ^ a b c Sell, Jill (June 2015). "Starring Role". Ohio magazine.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Rasmussen, Frederick N. (July 3, 2010). "A half-century ago, new 50-star American flag debuted in Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Hooker, Lisa R. (1988). "History Writing Samples". The Write Words, Ltd. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Barber, Barrie (December 17, 2009). "Hats Off to Saginaw flag designer who gave America 50 stars". MLive.
External links
- Designer of America's current flag, by Jim Sielicki (UPI), The Exchange, July–August 1988.
- Story Corps oral history of the creation of the 50 star flag in the words of Robert G. Heft.