07/03/2023
🇺🇸 Did you know? A Boy Scout named Bob Heft designed the 50-star American flag in 1958?
Heft's U.S. History teacher handed out a homework assignment and Heft had the perfect idea - to design a new flag. As a high school junior and Boy Scout in Troop 113 of Lancaster, Ohio, he had been reading the news and knew that Alaska was poised to become our nation’s 49th state, with Hawaii soon behind.
He cut out 50 stars from an iron-on material, arranged them on blue fabric and sewed this new field of stars to his family’s 48-star flag. His teacher questioned his project and gave him a B-minus.
“If you don’t like the grade, get it accepted in Washington,” Heft remembers the teacher saying. “Then come back and see me. I might consider changing the grade.”
Two years, 21 letters and 18 phone calls to the White House later, Heft received a call from President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
On July 4, 1960, Heft stood next to Eisenhower as the 50-star flag was raised over the U.S. Capitol.
⭐ His grade was changed to an A ⭐
🎆 Happy Independence Day!
