August 2, 2007

When members of the Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) learned in 1912 of the approaching commissioning of the battleship USS Arkansas, they decided to present the ship’s crew a stand of colors, including the state flag. Learning that there was no state flag, the DAR chapter promptly organized a statewide contest to design a flag. After examining sixty-five design entries, a committee selected the design of Willie K. Hocker, as shown here. Before approval by the state legislature in 1913, the three stars were rearranged and the name Arkansas added.