Wyoming State Flag

What Is the Wyoming State Flag?

The Wyoming state flag is the official banner representing the state of Wyoming. A blue field forms the background. A white silhouette of an American bison stands in the center. The bison displays the state seal on its body. A red border frames the entire flag.

The flag maintains the same basic design since its adoption in 1917. The colors match those of the United States flag. The bison represents Wyoming's wildlife heritage and frontier history.

Meaning of the Wyoming State Flag

The Wyoming state flag meaning comes from symbols representing the state's heritage and values. The bison reflects Wyoming's frontier character and natural resources. The colors carry specific meanings tied to Wyoming's history.

The blue symbolizes the sky and distant mountains. It also represents fidelity, justice, and virility. The white stands for purity and uprightness. The red border represents Native Americans and the blood of pioneers who settled the land.

History of the Wyoming State Flag

The Wyoming Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a flag design contest in 1916. The organization offered a twenty-dollar prize to the winner. Thirty-seven entries were submitted to the competition.

Verna Keays of Buffalo won the contest. She had recently graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago. Her design featured a white bison on a blue field with a red border. The bison displayed the state seal on its body.

Governor Robert D. Carey signed the flag bill into law on January 31, 1917. The fourteenth legislature officially adopted the design. Grace Raymond Hebard, a University of Wyoming professor, suggested changes after adoption. She recommended the bison face the hoist rather than the fly for better balance.

All flags manufactured from the first batch onward showed the bison facing the hoist. The Wyoming legislature never officially adopted this change. The modified orientation became standard practice without formal approval.

Symbols of the Wyoming State Flag

Wyoming State Flag Colors

The Wyoming state flag uses red, white, and blue to match the national colors. The blue field represents the sky and distant mountains. Blue symbolizes fidelity, justice, and virility.

White stands for purity and uprightness over Wyoming. The red border has dual meaning. It represents Native American peoples. It also honors the blood of pioneers who gave their lives settling the land.

Wyoming State Flag Facts

• Wyoming adopted its state flag on January 31, 1917
• Verna Keays designed the flag and won a $20 prize
• The DAR received 37 entries in the design contest
• The bison direction was changed unofficially after adoption
• Grace Raymond Hebard suggested the bison face the hoist
• The flag features Wyoming's state seal on the bison