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State of Arizona Flag Story

Arizona State Flag

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.

Blue and gold are the colors of Arizona. Red and gold are the colors carried by Coronado's Expedition of 1540 to the Seven Cities of Cibola. The blue is "liberty blue" identical to the color in the United States flag field of stars. Since Arizona is a western state the rays of the setting sun seemed appropriate. There are thirteen rays representing the original "thirteen colonies." The large copper star identifies Arizona as the largest producer of copper in the United States.

On February 27, 1917, the legislature passed the bill to adopt this flag as the official Arizona State Flag despite dissenting votes and Governor Campbell's refusal to affix his signature to the bill.

Source: "Arizona State Flag Story." Teacher Resource Guide. [Phoenix, AZ:] Arizona State Capitol Museum, 2003. p. 25.

See also:

• Arizona Department of Administration Capitol Police Division: Policies and Procedures Flags of the United States and Arizona Display, Etiquette and Maintenance
• A.R.S. § 41-851 State Colors; State Flag
• A.R.S. § 13-3703 Abuse of venerated objects; classification
• Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records Museum Division: Arizona State Flag
• Rules for Display of the Arizona State Flag
• U.S. Flag

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