Benny Benson holds his handmade flag after winning the Alaska flag design competition in 1927. Photo courtesy of the Alaska State Library.

The flag unfurled
Alaska's first Flag Day

The July 11, 1927 issue of the Seward Gateway describes the unfurling of Alaska's flag for the first time. The historic ceremony was held at the Jesse Lee Home, with Benny Benson present:

"At the hour of 4 o'clock p.m., Saturday, the official flag of Alaska was flung to the breezes for the first time on the flagpole of the Jesse Lee Home, one and one half miles north of the City of Seward. Those officiating at the ceremony were Captain Ralph R. Guthrie of the United States Signal Corps and Privates Edwin S. Diehl and Charles Harris.

"Benny Benson, 13-year-old student at the Jesse Lee Home, designer of the flag, attached it to the halyards below the National emblem and stood at attention while the multicolored folds of Old Glory and the deep violet blue of Alaska's official emblem, studded with the golden stars of the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star, fluttered about him.

"While the pupils of the Home sang the National anthem, the troop of Boy Scouts standing at attention and in salute, and citizens of Seward and dignitaries of the Methodist Episcopal church stood uncovered, the halyards tightened, and climbing into the brilliant sunshine of a perfect day, Old Glory led her child to the top-most heights of the towering flagpole, where both straightened out and fluttered proudly in the cooling breezes blowing in from Resurrection Bay."

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