Benny Benson - Alaska's Flag
John
Ben "Benny" Benson was 13, a 7th grade orphan at a mission school
in Seward when he created the flag for the Territory of
Alaska in 1927. He entered a contest arranged for children in grades 7
through 12 by Alaska Territorial Governor George Parks. On a visit to the
U.S. Post Office building in 1926 he had noticed that, while there were
flags for every state displayed, the territory of Alaska had none. Update:
we have been informed that the contest was actually held by the American
Legion of Alaska. So perhaps it was at Governor Parks request.
The rules called for 8½ x 11-inch paper, color or plain ink. Each community
formed a panel to select the 10 best entries, which were then forwarded to
the final committee in Juneau.
Benson looked to the sky, choosing the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) and the
North Star for his symbols. He described his choices: "The blue field is for
the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaska Flower. The North Star is
for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly of the union. The dipper
is for the Great Bear symbolizing strength." His sentiments are echoed in
the state song.
Benny actually drew more than one entry. One had a dogsled and two
huskies on a bright green backdrop. A second was a massive mountain rising
in front of a yellow sun. And the one that won, had the number 1867 under
the Big Dipper on a royal blue background.
Benny Benson was born in Chignik in 1913, part Russian-Aleut and part
Swedish. His father put him in an orphanage, the Jesse Lee Home in Unalaska,
at the age of 3 when his mother died. The home moved from Unalaska to
Seward in 1925.
Benson learned about his win in March 1927. “One day our teacher’s
husband came in the room and he brought a telegram,” Benson recalled in
1971. “She just looked at it and her mouth dropped open. She was speechless.
… And I darned near fell out of my seat, I guess.”
The only change that was made in his design was the removal of the
“1867.” His design was favored over about 700 entries from schoolchildren around
the state. Many of the other entries had variations on polar bears, gold
pans, the state seal, the midnight sun,
or northern lights. Until his flag
was chosen, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag since the territory was
purchased from Russia in 1867. The Territory of Alaska became a state in
1959.
Benson spent most of his adult life in Kodiak, where he worked for Kodiak
Airways. He had two daughters and several stepchildren and grandchildren. In
later years, Benson sewed custom, autographed Alaska flags for legislators,
dignitaries and each Miss Alaska. He later said that his greatest thrill was
the standing ovation he received at the Alaska constitutional convention. He died
of a heart attack on July 2,
1972., at the age of 58.
For his feat, Benson won a gold watch with his design engraved on the
back and $1,000 that he later used for diesel-engine repair school. The
watch he donated to the Alaska State Museum in 1963. The original flag,
made of blue silk and appliquéd gold stars, was first flown July 9, 1927.
If you visit Seward, you can find the Benny Benson Memorial at Mile 1.4
of the Seward Highway.
