Editing Flag of Oregon

{{short description|U.S. state flag}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = State of Oregon
| Image = Flag of Oregon.svg
| Imagetext = 
| Nickname = 
| Use = 110000
| Symbol = {{FIAV|110000}}{{FIAV|normal}}{{FIAV|twosided}}
| Proportion = 2:3
| Adoption = {{start date and age|1925|04|15}}
| Design = (Obverse) A state seal in gold on a navy blue field. Above the seal the text "State of Oregon" is displayed in a wavy flow and 1859 at the bottom of the state seal.
| Designer = Oregon Legislature; first sewn by [[Meier & Frank|Marjorie Kennedy]] and [[Meier & Frank|Blanche Cox]].
| Image2 = File:Flag of Oregon (reverse).svg
| Symbol2 = {{FIAV|110000}}{{IFIS|reverse}}
| Use2 = 110000
| Proportion2 = 3:5
| Design2 = (Reverse) A gold figure of a beaver, the state animal (the hoist is to the right)
}}
The '''flag of Oregon''' is a [[Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse|two-sided flag]] in [[navy blue]] and [[gold (color)|gold]] with an optional gold fringe. On the front is the [[escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]] from the [[seal of Oregon|state seal]] and on the reverse is a gold figure of a [[North American beaver|beaver]], the state animal. [[Oregon]] is the only [[U.S. state]] to feature different designs on both sides of its flag (the [[flag of Massachusetts]] was changed in 1971 to be single-sided).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oregon/state-flag/flag-oregon|title=Oregon State Flag|website=State Symbols USA|access-date=May 7, 2024|quote=The Oregon state flag was adopted in 1925 and is the only U.S. state flag that displays different images on front and back.}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Oregon_State_Exposition_flag_1915.jpg|left|thumb|Oregon's 1915 Exposition flag]]
[[File:Presentation of Oregon State flag, 7-7-25 LCCN2016850792.jpg|left|thumb|Presentation of the state flag ]]
[[File:Oregon_state_flag_1917.jpg|thumb|State flag from 1917]]
The first flag used to represent the state was flown during the [[Panama–Pacific International Exposition]] in 1915. The front of the banner had a white background with the state seal in the center. The word "OREGON" was placed above the seal and the words "Exposition 1915" were placed below the seal. The backside contained the American flag.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Francisco Call 15 March 1912 — California Digital Newspaper Collection |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19120315.2.2&srpos=3340&e=-------en--20--3321--txt-txIN-State+flag+banner+------- |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=cdnc.ucr.edu}}</ref>

The current flag of Oregon became official on February 26, 1925.<ref name="mw">{{cite dictionary|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?oregon|title=Geography|dictionary=Merriam-Webster|access-date=2008-05-05}}</ref> What is believed to be the first flag of Oregon produced was made that year by [[Meier & Frank]], sewn by Marjorie Kennedy and Blanche Cox, employees of the department store.<ref name="first flag">{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2010/09/oregons_first_flag_will_be_moved_to_a_public_display_at_eastern_oregon_university.html|title=Oregon's first flag will be moved to a public display at Eastern Oregon University|agency=The Associated Press|date=September 6, 2010|work=The Oregonian|access-date=8 September 2010}}</ref> That flag was donated to [[Eastern Oregon University]] in 1954 by the grandson of former governor [[Walter M. Pierce]].<ref name="first flag" /> In 2010, the flag was restored.<ref name="first flag" />

Early copies of the Oregon state flag sometimes used a multi-colored state seal rather than an all-gold state seal.

==Description==
The flag field is navy blue with all lettering and symbols in gold, representing the state colors of Oregon.<ref name=obb>{{cite web|url=https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/d-h.aspx|title=Oregon Almanac:Flag, State|access-date=2008-05-05|publisher=Oregon Blue Book}}</ref><ref name=Shearer>{{cite book|last=Shearer|first=B.F|author2=Shearer, B.S|year=2002|title=State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide|edition=Third|publisher=Greenwood Press|page=67|isbn=0-313-31534-5}}</ref> On the obverse, the legend ''STATE OF OREGON'' is written above an [[escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]], which also appears in the [[seal of Oregon|Oregon state seal]]. The shield is surrounded by 33&nbsp;stars, representing Oregon's admission to the Union as the 33rd&nbsp;state. Below the shield is written ''1859'', the year in which Oregon became a state.<ref name=obb/>

Oregon's flag is the last remaining state flag in the U.S. in which the obverse and reverse sides have different designs.<ref name=mw/> [[Flag of Paraguay|Paraguay]]<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9103970/Oregon-flag-of Oregon, flag of]. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on May 6, 2008.</ref> is the only country that still has a two-sided flag. Two-sided flags were previously more common, but have been reduced due to increased costs of manufacturing a flag with two different designs.<ref name=mw/> On the reverse of the flag is a depiction, also in gold, of a [[North American beaver|beaver]], the [[List of U.S. state mammals|state animal]] of Oregon.<ref name=obb/>

For dress or parade use, the flag may feature a gold fringe. For standard use, no fringe is required.<ref name=obb/> The ratio of the flag's width to its length is 3:5.<ref name=fotw2>{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-or.html|title=Oregon Flag|publisher=[[Flags of the World (website)|Flags of the World]]|access-date=2008-05-05}}</ref>

It is one of nine U.S. state flags to feature an eagle, alongside those of [[Flag of Illinois|Illinois]], [[Flag of Iowa|Iowa]], [[Flag of Michigan|Michigan]], [[Flag of Missouri|Missouri]], [[Coat of arms of New York|New York]], [[Flag of North Dakota|North Dakota]], [[Flag of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]] and [[Flag of Wyoming|Wyoming]].
{{Clear}}

<gallery class="center" heights="140px" widths="180">
File:Flags-of-usa-and-oregon.jpg|The flags of the [[United States]] and Oregon in [[Portland, Oregon]].
File:Oregon Bicentennial 13c 1976 issue.jpg|The Oregon state flag as depicted in the 1976 bicentennial postage stamp series.
File:Oregon Guardsmen help distribute medical supplies (49775222251).jpg|Oregon Guardsmen with the state flag.
</gallery>

==Proposed change==
[[File:Proposed flag of Oregon (1976).svg|thumb|Jean-Claude Muller's proposed flag (1976)]]
As part of the [[United States Bicentennial]] in 1976, the [[Santa Barbara Museum of Art]] held a nationwide contest for new flags for American states, cities and other entities. A panel of judges selected 25 of the best designs to be displayed at various exhibitions around the United States. Among the selected designs was a proposed flag for Oregon, designed by Jean-Claude Muller. It consisted of a pattern of nine green triangles against a background of three vertical stripes of blue-white-blue, symbolising the forest, the ocean and the lakes of the state. Although it was hoped that the winning designs might be considered for adoption by their respective entities, no flags from this contest were ever officially adopted.<ref>{{cite book |year=1976 |title="New Glory": A Flag History and Design Project for the American Revolution Bicentennial Part II: New Designs for Flags |page=12 |publisher=[[Santa Barbara Museum of Art]] |location=Santa Barbara, California |oclc=1022565103 |url=https://assets.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2456_300062494.pdf |via=[[Museum of Modern Art]] |accessdate=March 1, 2025}}</ref>

In anticipation of the Oregon Sesquicentennial in 2009, ''[[The Oregonian]]'' organized a statewide contest in 2008 to redesign the state flag.<ref name="flagcontest">{{cite news |url= http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon/index.ssf/2008/12/redesign_the_oregon_flag.html |title= Redesign the Oregon flag |work= [[The Oregonian]] |access-date= June 16, 2010 |date= December 11, 2008}}</ref> The newspaper collected and published the entries with the public voting on the winning design. The winning design was created by Randall Gray, a map maker for [[Clackamas County, Oregon|Clackamas County]]. In his design, Gray emphasized the beaver found on the current flag's reverse. The star represents Oregon's place in the Union while the green represents the natural wilderness and forests of Oregon.<ref name="flagcontest"/> After the contest had started with votes being cast, there were requests for the ''Oregonian'' to add an 11th option, "NONE OF THE ABOVE", meaning, keep the current state flag as it is. In the final tally of votes, "NONE" received the most votes.

'''Finalists'''
<gallery>
Flag of Oregon proposal (Gerald H. Black).svg|Flag A - Designed by Gerald H. Black
Flag of Oregon proposal (Eddy Lyons).svg|Flag B - Designed by Eddy Lyons
Flag of Oregon proposal (Douglas Lynch).svg|Flag C - Designed by Douglas Lynch
Flag of Oregon proposal (Jaymes Walker).svg|Flag D - Designed by Jaymes Walker
Flag of Oregon proposal (John Mothershead).svg|Flag E - Designed by John Mothershead
Flag of Oregon proposal (T.J. Borzner).svg|Flag F - Designed by T.J. Borzner
Flag of Oregon proposal (Randall Gray).svg|Flag G - Designed by Randall Gray
Flag of Oregon proposal (Lorraine Bushek).svg|Flag H - Designed by Lorraine Bushek
Flag of Oregon proposal (Karen L. Azinger).svg|Flag I - Designed by Karen L. Azinger
Flag of Oregon proposal (Thomas Lincoln).svg|Flag J - Designed by Thomas Lincoln
</gallery>

In 2013, a bill was introduced to the Oregon Senate that would have made several changes to the flag design; however, the bill never made it out of committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2013R1/Measures/Text/SB473?BillFileId=56566 |title=Oregon Senate Bill 473 |access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref> This bill was sponsored by state [[Laurie Monnes Anderson|Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson]], on behalf of [[Gresham, Oregon|Gresham]] resident Matt Norquist, who lobbied for the flag's change.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neworegonflag.org/ |title=www.neworegonflag.org |access-date=November 25, 2013 |archive-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031172158/http://www.neworegonflag.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Oregon proposal (2013, Norquist).svg|thumb|Matt Norquist's proposed flag (2013)]]

The bill describes the proposed design as follows:
{{cquote|The flag shall feature a vertical bicolor split with a navy blue field at the hoist and a gold field at the fly. In the canton the flag shall bear a representation of the beaver, in gold, facing the hoist. On the fly the flag shall bear a vertical stripe in navy blue, and a white star shall be centered at the vertical halfway point of the stripe. The obverse and reverse of the flag shall be mirror images of each other.}}



'''<big>Unapproved Proposed Municipal Flag for Pendleton Oregon</big>'''

[[File: Pendleton Oregon Flag.png|thumb|A Proposed but Unapproved Flag

Presented to Pendleton City Council on January, 7th 2025.]]

"The Flag shall bear a blue field with a horizontal white stripe in the center.
A blue circle on the left side featuring a gold beaver.
Three blue stars are positioned to the right of the circle within the white stripe."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pendleton, Oregon (U.S.) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-orpen.html |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.crwflags.com}}</ref>






==See also==
{{Portal|Oregon}}
*[[Seal of Oregon]]
*[[List of Oregon state symbols]]
*[[Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse]]
*[[Flag of Portland, Oregon]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311194726/http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/186.html Chapter 186 — State Emblems; State Boundary] 2005 [[Oregon Revised Statutes]]

{{US state flags}}
{{Oregon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Oregon}}
[[Category:United States state flags|Oregon]]
[[Category:Symbols of Oregon]]
[[Category:Flags of Oregon]]
[[Category:Flags displaying animals|Oregon]]
[[Category:Blue and yellow flags]]
[[Category:Flags with stars]]