The first Oklahoma State Flag adopted in 1911 was simple, its
color palette modeled after the red, white and blue of the Stars and Stripes. The 1911
Oklahoma state flag displayed a white star, edged in blue, centered on a field of red.
Inside the star, the number "46" was shown; referencing Oklahoma as the 46th state to
enter the union in 1907. The first Oklahoma State Flag flew from 1911 - 1925. The Red
flag and single white star of the Okalahoma state flag began to be too closely
associated with symbols of Communism. In 1924, a contest was announced to create a new
design for the Oklahoma State Flag, one that represented the diversity of cultures in
the state of Oklahoma. For the state with the largest Native American population, it is
easy to see why the design submitted by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr. was chosen and officially
adopted by the Oklahoma State Legislature on April 2, 1925. The 1925 Oklahoma state
flag, essentially the same as today's state flag, prominently displays an Osage
warrior's shield made from buffalo hide and decorated with seven eagle feathers hanging
from the lower edge. The shield is centered on a field of blue borrowed from the blue
flag that Choctaw soldiers carried during the Civil War.
The Oklahoma state flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their
ancestors. The shield is decorated with six white crosses (stars) representing high
ideals. Superimposed over the shield are symbols of peace and unity from the cultures of
the Native American and European-American settlers in the territory; a ceremonial peace
pipe and the olive branch. The Oklahoma State Flag design was revisited in 1941. The
state name "OKLAHOMA" was amended to the 1925 design and is displayed in white letters
below the shield. In 1988, the Oklahoma State Legislature again addressed the design of
the state flag. Variations in color among manufacturers did not properly align with the
spirit of the design and the 41st Oklahoma Legislature voted to rectify this.
