Indiana Flags

This version of the Indiana State Flag was officially adopted on May 11th, 1917, and remains unchanged to date. In 1916, the state’s general assembly requested the Indiana chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to sponsor a contest to design a state flag to commemorate Indiana’s centennial anniversary. A cash prize of $100 was offered as prize money and over 200 different designs were submitted. Paul Hadley was chosen as the winner of the contest. His original design was used, with the exception of the word “Indiana” above the torch which was added by the state assembly at the time the design was adopted. The artwork consists of a gold torch that represents liberty and enlightenment and the rays surrounding the torch are symbolic of their far-reaching influence. The outer circle of 13 stars pays tribute to the original 13 colonies while the 5 stars in the inner circle are for the next 5 states to enter the union. The larger star above the torch brings the total number of stars to 19 as Indiana was the 19th state to enter the United States.