Missouri was the 24th state to join the United States in 1821. The state did not adopt an official state flag until 1913, nearly 92 years after gaining statehood.
Marie Elizabeth Oliver, wife of state Sen. Robert Oliver, was head of the committee created in 1908 to commission the design of an official state flag. In 1909, the design was submitted to the state Senate for consideration, and in 1913 Gov. Eliot Major signed the bill to make the design the state flag.
The Missouri state flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes with red at the top, white in the middle and blue on the bottom. At the center of the flag is the Missouri state coat of arms, encircled by 24 white stars on a blue background.
Oliver designed the flag to represent both the state of Missouri and its allegiance to the United States. Incorporating the colors in the U.S. flag, the red stripe stands for valor, the blue for vigilance, permanency and justice, and the white for purity. The placement of the coat of arms in the center represents the physical location of Missouri in the center of the country, while the 24 stars allude to Missouri being the 24th state admitted to the Union.
