by Pat Fox

Created on: June 12, 2008

On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution that read: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation" but it took until August 3, 1949 (172 years later) for Congress to approve a joint resolution to designate June 14 as Flag Day'.

Although there are many stories of activities and events that contributed to the grass roots efforts to establish an official Flag Day, there appear to be three people who drove the primary events and activities that led us to the 1949 resolution. The first is Bernard J. Cigrand who, at the age of 19 was teaching at Stony Hill School in Waubeka Wisconsin. On June 14, 1885 he placed a 10", 38 star flag in an ink bottle on his desk and asked his students to write about the flag and what it meant to them. Mr. Cigrand followed this with a personal campaign over many years to establish June 14th as Flag Birthday'. He wrote numerous letters and articles for magazines to raise awareness and drum up support for this designation.

Sometime between 1886 and 1888 Mr. Cigrand moved to Chicago where he continued his efforts. In 1894 the activities of Mr. Cigrand began to have an impact. In this year the city of Chicago hosted an event on June 14 to celebrate the adoption of the stars and stripes as the flag for the United States which was attended by over 300,000 school children.

The second significant catalyst was Professor George Bolch, a principal of free kindergarten for the poor in New York City. On June 14, 1889 Professor Bolch planned a celebration of Flag Day' in New York City for school children. The New York State Board of Education took notice of this event and in 1891 adopted the idea citywide. By 1894 the Governor of New York directed that the flag be flown on all public buildings on June 14.

The third key individual was Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin. On April 25,1893 while serving as the President of the Society of the Colonial Dames of America, she led that organization to adopt a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia to display the flag on government buildings on June 14. On May 8, 1893 this action was endorsed by the city of Philadelphia.

Although progress was being made on the local level in the late 1800's it was 1916 before progress was made on the federal level. On May 30, 1916 President Wilson issued a proclamation calling for a national Flag Day. An additional proclamation was issued by President Coolidge in 1927.

The final step was taken on August 3, 1949 when President Harry S. Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill officially designating June 14 as a national holiday. This bill requests that the President issue an annual proclamation calling for this observance and for the display of the Flag of the United States on all Federal Government buildings. On June 9, 1966 Congress adopted a joint resolution to amend the legislation asking that the President issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week' and calling upon all citizens of the United States to display the flag during that week.

Today Pennsylvania, the home state of Betsy Ross, is the only state in the Union that has adopted June 14 as an official state holiday. However, the stars and stripes can be seen flying from all Federal buildings, most State buildings and numerous private homes during National Flag Week as we take the opportunity to recognize and remember the adoption of this symbol of freedom.

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