![[Wichita, Kansas flag]](../images/u/us-ks-wi-l.gif)
2:3 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucciimage(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.
Last modified: 2022-08-05 by rick wyatt
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2:3 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags,
Raven
9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association,
which retains copyright.
See also:
Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.
The field of Wichita’s flag would be described in heraldry as
“Gyronny of six, Gules and Argent”, that is, alternating red and white
rays that expand from the center to the field’s borders. On a field of 2
by 3 units, the rays emanate from a point .875 units from the hoist.
The hoist segment is white, the remaining rays alternate in color. The
hoist and fly rays are 2 units at their widest; the upper and lower hoist
rays, 1.33 units; and the upper and lower fly rays, 1.67 units. A blue
disk of 1 unit in diameter, fimbriated in white, overlays the center. A
Native American sun sign in white fills the disk. The sun sign differs
slightly from those on the New Mexico state flag and the Albuquerque
and Madison city flags: the arms comprise three rays rather than four
(the central ray is slightly longer than the others) and it contains a small
white disk in its center.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
The white circle around the field of blue in the center and containing the Indian design for the sun, symbolizes a ‘hogan’, or permanent home. Superimposed on the field of blue is the white sun. The blue indicates happiness and faithfulness in a town of happy people and permanent homes. Radiating from the circular field of blue are red and white stripes. The red means virtue and honor, the white stands for courageous virtues. The stripes lining the red and white background are symbols of rays of light and ways to come and go, open and free to all—hence, the red, white, and blue.John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003
Bert Wells, the city manager, asked the American
Legion to develop a contest for a new city flag. A committee was appointed
by the Legion, consisting of Paul Henrion, head of the Civic
Flag Committee of the Legion, chairman; H. M. Van Auken, secretary
of the chamber of commerce; Glen Thomas, a local architect; John
Rydjord, Wichita University professor; and W. H. Allen, publisher of
the Wichita Beacon. Six prizes totaling $85 were supplied by the Wichita
Rotary Club, ranging from $40 for the first place to $2 for sixth place.
Judging was done by R. T. Aitchison, Charles M. Capps, and William
Dickinson, who had been appointed by the American Legion and the
Wichita Art Association.
Flag adopted: 14 June 1937 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
Cecil McAlister, a resident of the city, took first place in
the American Legion contest.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
An interesting footnote to the flag’s
adoption followed. McAlister’s original design shows WICHITA in
white on the fly’s red segment, appearing to emerge from the center as
the letters grow steadily larger toward the fly’s edge. The first flags
sewn, however (by Mrs. Mary J. Harper), did not have the city’s name
on them. On 25 March 1940, at the suggestion of Mrs. W. E. Haines
of Haines Tile and Mantel Co., the city commission adopted a resolution
to add the city’s name to the flag, perhaps unaware that it had been
part of the original design. The resolution, however, went into the
“pending” file, and was never acted upon, even though there were periodic
calls for the name to be added in later years. The reluctance of the
city government—in opposition to an overwhelming trend among U.S.
cities to place the name of the city on its flag—leads the vexillologist to
wonder if there is a wise flag designer in the Wichita city hall who has
never been persuaded to tamper with success!
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
It's red, white and blue and sixty years old. It's also rarer than hen's teeth and recognized by very few Wichitans. It's the official flag of the City of Wichita. So few copies of the flag have ever been made and flown that most Wichitans have never seen it. Acting on a 1940 amendment to the design would help by adding the word "Wichita" to the flag.
In a day when artists charge thousands of dollars to "develop a concept" for company logos, the 1937 prize money doesn't sound like much. A total of $85 was doled out among six top vote getters, but in hard economic times it was worth the effort. Artist Cecil McAlister was one of a large group of people vying for the $40 first prize in May, 1937. They submitted a hundred different designs to a panel of three other artists to judge. They selected McAlister's design, one based on Indian symbolism. It was accepted by proclamation on June 14, 1937, Flag Day.
The winning design was a complex sewing challenge for west-side seamstress Mary J. Harper. Wichita's Betsy Ross, as she was then styled, spent an entire day piecing together the design of Indian emblems from red, white and blue silk. She made a total of six flags originally
The first one flew from the City Hall flagstaff at 204 S. Main on July 23, 1937. None of the originals is known to survive, but their descendants fly outside Century II and City Hall everyday. Take a closer look next time at McAlister's award-winning and inspired design.
Charlie Whitworth, 4 February 1999
![[Wichita, Kansas flag]](../images/u/us-kswi!.gif)
image by Thanh-Tam Le and António Martins-Tuválkin, 10 June 2008
In 1940 an amendment was offered to make the flag more easily known. Mrs. W.F. Haines suggested adding the word "Wichita" in white letters over the largest red ray. To date it has never been acted upon.
Charlie Whitworth, 4 February 1999
![[Municipal logo]](../images/u/us-ks-wi).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 5 August 2019
Source:
https://cdn.ballotpedia.org
Paul Bassinson, 5 August 2019
