| Who created the US Flag that we salute at every | | | | stars. |
| parade? | | | | Was his teacher, Mr. Pratt amazed and impressed |
| Robert Heft, a then 17 year-old high school | | | | by Robert's newly created 50 star US Flag? |
| sophomore from Ohio created our current | | | | No, Mr. Pratt told Robert that his project lacked |
| American Flag of 50 stars. | | | | creativity and told him, "anybody can make a |
| When was this flag created? | | | | flag". Mr. Pratt gave Robert a B minus for his |
| Robert Heft created his 50 star, hand sewn, US | | | | project but told him that he would raise his grade |
| flag in 1958 prior to Alaska and Hawaii being | | | | if Robert could get Congress to adopt this new |
| admitted to the Union. | | | | American Flag design. |
| What drove Robert to create this new flag? | | | | Was Robert discouraged by this challenge from |
| It all began as a high school project assigned in | | | | his teacher? |
| 1958 in Lancaster, Ohio, for his teacher, Mr. Stan | | | | No, Robert accepted this challenge and took his |
| Pratt. Each student's assignment was to create a | | | | flag to his congressman, Rep. Walter Moeller, who |
| project of their own choosing that would be | | | | worked to get the new 50 star design accepted |
| graded for creativity. | | | | after Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the |
| What prompted Robert to create a flag as his | | | | Union. |
| project? | | | | Was this original, hand sewn, 50 star US Flag ever |
| Robert was always interested in government and | | | | used or was it just used as a model? |
| politics and was aware of the possibility of Alaska | | | | Yes, it was first flown on July 4, 1960 at the US |
| and Hawaii becoming the next new states. While | | | | Capitol dome with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, |
| other kids at his high school struggled with ideas | | | | Congressman Moeller and Robert Heft in |
| on what to create for their projects, Robert | | | | attendance. It has flown over every US state |
| knew right away that he wanted to create the | | | | capital building and has flown over the White |
| first 50 star flag. | | | | House under five administrations. |
| How did Robert go about designing this | | | | Where is Robert's original US Flag of 50 stars? |
| one-of-a-kind flag? | | | | Robert Heft still owns this original first flag of 50 |
| Being an astute student of history, Robert knew | | | | stars and has turned down offers of up to |
| that the design of the US Flag had not changed in | | | | $350,000 to sell it. |
| since 1912. He wanted to change the design of | | | | Is that the end of Robert Heft's story? |
| the flag so carefully that it would be almost | | | | No, shortly after he completed his 50 star high |
| unnoticeable. | | | | school project, he went on to create a 51 star |
| How did Robert go about creating this | | | | US Flag in the event that Puerto Rico ever joined |
| one-of-a-kind flag? | | | | the Union. The 51 star flag has six rows of stars, |
| Unbeknownst to his family, Robert took his | | | | starting with a row of nine and alternated by |
| parent's 48 star US Flag and began cutting the | | | | rows of eight to total 51 stars. |
| flag apart and rearranging the stars and adding 2 | | | | What is the moral of this story? |
| stars so that there would be 50 stars in total. His | | | | If your child comes to you with a wacky, |
| design featured five rows of 6 stars (30 stars) | | | | seemingly crazy, creative idea - let them run with |
| alternating with four rows of 5 stars (20 stars). | | | | it. It may turn out to launch their life long career, |
| Robert spent over 12 hours one weekend | | | | as it did for Robert Heft. |
| arranging and sewing this new combination of | | | | |