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The state flag of Wyoming was designed by Verna Keays in 1916 and officially adopted on January 13, 1917. It features a white bison silhouette on a blue background with the state seal superimposed on it. The flag’s colors and symbols represent Wyoming’s history, assets, and pride, including the state’s status as the first to grant women’s suffrage.
The state flag of Wyoming was designed in 1916 by Verna Keays, winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) competition to design a state flag. The Keays-designed flag was officially adopted on January 13, 1917. It features the white silhouette of a bison against a blue background, with the state seal of Wyoming superimposed on the bison. The state flag of Wyoming is bordered by two stripes: a narrow white inner stripe and a thicker red outer stripe.
The Wyoming DAR, led by State Regent Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard, is credited with being the first to recognize Wyoming’s need for an official state flag in 1916. The organization spearheaded efforts to choose a flag by sponsoring a design contest and offering a fee of $20 US Dollars (USD) to the chosen designer. About 37 projects were presented to the DAR. Verna Keays, a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, presented the winning entry, which she said arrived in the middle of the night.
The colors and symbols found on the state flag of Wyoming are representative of that state’s history, assets, and pride. While the colors of the Wyoming state flag mimic the colors of the flag of the United States, they are also generally interpreted as specifically symbolic of the values of Wyoming residents. The white that appears on the state flag of Wyoming symbolizes the land and sky of the state, as well as the allegiance, strength, and equality of its people. The use of the color red for the Wyoming state flag honors the settlers who risked their lives to found the state of Wyoming, as well as the Native Americans who lived there prior to European-American expansion into the area.
The bison appears on the flag because it is the official animal symbol of the state of Wyoming. The state seal, which appears on the flag, depicts a miner and a cattle breeder. These images represent the importance of these industries to the history of the state.
A female figure holding a flag that reads “Equal Rights” is depicted on the state seal of Wyoming. This is considered a reference to Wyoming’s status as the first state to grant women’s suffrage. Wyoming women gained the right to vote in 1869.
