The Flag of the State of Illinois consists of the Great Seal of Illinois on a white background, with the word "Illinois" underneath the seal.
During her time as state regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1912, Ella Park Lawrence began a campaign to have Illinois
adopt a state flag. She was unsuccessful during her time as state regent, but continued to lobby members of the Illinois General Assembly to
adopt a state flag as a member of the Rockford chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. On April 1, 1914, Lawrence sent a letter to
every Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution announcing a contest to design an Illinois state flag, with the winner
receiving a prize of $25. Thirty-five designs were submitted in response to this contest.The contest was judged by a panel chaired by
Lewis Stevenson, Illinois Secretary of State. They selected the design of Lucy Derwent. The flag became the official state banner on
July 6, 1915 following its passage in the Illinois State House and Senate
In the 1960s, Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel petitioned to have the name of the state added to the flag. He noted that many of the
people he served with during the Vietnam War did not recognize the banner. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie signed the addition to the flag
into law on September 17, 1969 and the new flag was designed by Mrs. Sanford Hutchinson and became the official flag on July 1, 1970.
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