| The first Oklahoma State Flag adopted in 1911 was a
simple affair, its color pallette modeled after the red,
white and blue of the Stars and Stripes. The 1911 flag
displayed a white star, edged in blue, centered on a
field of red. Inside the star, the number "46"
was shown; reference to Oklahoma as the 46th state to
enter the union in 1907. The first Oklahoma State Flag flew from 1911 - 1925. It is said that the flag began to fall into disfavor after the Russion Revolution in 1917. The Red flag and single white star began to be too closely associated with symbols of Communism. In 1924, a contest was announced to create a new design for the flag, one that more uniquely 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 State Legislature on April 2, 1925. |
From the beginning, many Oklahomans were uncomfortable displaying the flag at their homes. They feared it might be confused with the red banner that was required to hang outside the houses of those stricken with the highly contagious and frequently deadly Scarlet Fever. In 1917, the Russian revolution established the Communist Party of the new Soviet Union. All things communist were associated with the color red, including their flag. This was the nail in the coffin for the original Oklahoma flag. The overwhelming consensus of the state's populace was for a change. |