Willie Kavanaugh Hocker
Encyclopedia
Willie Kavanaugh Hocker (July 21, 1862 – February 6, 1944) is credited as the designer of the flag of Arkansas
.
(where she lived as a child). Her father was a farmer and planter.
chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
. Her chapter wanted to present the newly commissioned USS Arkansas
with a state flag; however the chapter was informed that a state flag did not exist at all. Hocker, along with other citizens, sent flag designs to Earle W. Hodges, who was the Secretary of State. What she proposed was a red flag, with a white diamond surrounded by a border of blue, 25 white stars in the blue and three blue stars inside the white diamond. It took the flag design committee to suggest to add "Arkansas" to the flag. Hocker agreed, thus the first design of the state flag was born. After some changes to add a fourth blue star to the flag, to honor Arkansas's participation in the Confederate States of America
, the final design was set in 1924.
Flag of Arkansas
The flag of the state of Arkansas is a red field charged with a large blue-bordered white diamond. Twenty-nine five-pointed stars appear on the flag: twenty-five small white stars within the blue border, and four larger blue stars in the white diamond. The inscription "ARKANSAS" appears in blue...
.
Early life
Born in 1862 in Kentucky, she and her family moved to Arkansas in 1870. After obtaining a certificate to teach in 1887, she became a history teacher in WabbasekaWabbaseka, Arkansas
Wabbaseka is a city in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 323 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wabbaseka is located at ....
(where she lived as a child). Her father was a farmer and planter.
Designing the flag
Hocker was a part of the Pine BluffPine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
. Her chapter wanted to present the newly commissioned USS Arkansas
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
USS Arkansas , a was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 25th state.A dreadnought battleship, Arkansas was laid down on 25 January 1910 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. She was launched on 14 January 1911 sponsored by Miss Nancy Louise...
with a state flag; however the chapter was informed that a state flag did not exist at all. Hocker, along with other citizens, sent flag designs to Earle W. Hodges, who was the Secretary of State. What she proposed was a red flag, with a white diamond surrounded by a border of blue, 25 white stars in the blue and three blue stars inside the white diamond. It took the flag design committee to suggest to add "Arkansas" to the flag. Hocker agreed, thus the first design of the state flag was born. After some changes to add a fourth blue star to the flag, to honor Arkansas's participation in the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, the final design was set in 1924.