John Purcell holding up an odd misprint
of the Ohio State flag that
requires some assembly with scissors
of the Ohio State flag that
requires some assembly with scissors
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4EeW7vB5d8RjvcZb3h8ZeiHhmHzBqjZwY7Gb70WQxSoG36bdhlNQeFr5YWASKulkQMREas1qjrLfbaLAJRlKYAATAtQsmvRvfJksLcRVm9_QTKR07mqH7gSyefC9a-clRthrH1oueWw/s320/0001xed.jpg)
The final presentation was given by John Purcell, a former NAVA president and primary author of American City Flags - 150 Flags from Akron to Yonkers. Purcell's presentation was entitled Colors and Controversy: The Flags of Our 50 States - How Our States Got Flags and Why It Took So Long.
Purcell gave us an overview of the how the fifty states got their flags. For a good majority it was mostly due to need. At functions where state representatives met, in all sorts of events from athletic, social and political - the various delegations often needed a state flag to represent their group.
However each state flag has its own particular story. Some flags were not created for a caucus need, but rather for state pride and or historical reason.
I asked Purcell which state flag reflects the design of the US State flag the best? Before Purcell could respond several people volunteered an answer - 'Ohio, Texas, and Georgia.' But Purcell's choice of which state flag looks most like the federal flag was, "Hawaii."
An open question? - Which US State flag looks most like the US national flag? Ohio, Texas, Georgia, or Hawaii? Post your answers here!
TEXAS
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GK7BMuXB-jGHuw5dDoVRtqmjCsN4k8ySg4LFXBORjcX_l9tdX8fJjqCFaFeg9MCB9NNPrQMKrGf2Oh3okK4Vccvy2YQxgeP-tAfqQPhI9xNsa5OrbZQPUSjKlmwJ0-SwxOLR7uW0sIM/s320/800px-Flag_of_Texas.svg.png)
Two big red and white stripes, Texas trumps the flag of North Carolina since NC has dates and letters on it.
HAWAII
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xHUe-tDwkYCYOn8Y3r_iLTeGFG4P_hZUvKFI-00wQCtYlrxGtZ0Vfrf2kVdx613mL6jrce0gGWgAwPtGrKqu5hXyc2cclQzrVYhMvZi0WGhkfwPWc5h3P1UKdA-tITRUQKkcsVy0QHA/s320/800px-Flag_of_Hawaii.svg.png)
Hawaii's basic design is like the US flag with a canton and stripes. But no stars and blue stripes? And a British Flag!
GEORGIA
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcf4s2vjeo0N3o_-G1Gs2tIkMKr6MVMEetKEwzhPUo3NU75wmkskXDQBnUUuEOY3-XAWx4JixXwWkcisYdjFpB09TkuRuwEUgVyGbnWc84m3B9cYCzyvAF0mk04kLraAdz3VLU6R9Tp0/s320/800px-Flag_of_Georgia_%2528U.S._state%2529.svg.png)
13 Stars like the Betsy Ross design, and three big stripes. However its the design of the first Confederate Flag.
OHIO
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z7u6Ec9HvrjcegnutSfCLJBRelEQ2k23N4RB8HxLW2RQHglHAixwYF_-yWSWkyAl2Aa9ZR_nogLT9xxL7gsxA5s8zbxPeddaXlpjnKmljFRISoGnmelIYr_cCVCEjKfpmOUyZE3Zw34/s320/480px-Flag_of_Ohio.svg.png)
Stars and stripes! but the shape is wrong and there is a red dot with a white circle around it?