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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (U.S.)

Oklahoma County

13:17 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.

Current Flag
Seal
1965 flag
Oklahoma City Police flag
Oklahoma City Fire Department flag

See also:

Current Flag

Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.

Design

Oklahoma City’s flag has a white field of 13 by 17 units. A red-line border surrounds it, .5 units from the edges. The seal of the city, 6.5 units in diameter, is centered on the field. The outer edge of the seal is a robin’s-egg blue, matching the Oklahoma state flag’s field. Within that circle is a narrow white ring, on which SEAL OF THE CITY OF curves clockwise over the top and OKLAHOMA CITY curves counterclockwise below, all in black. Separating the two legends at 9 and 3 o’clock is a five-pointed black star. The inner field of the seal is the same blue as the ring’s edge. Centered on the field is a shield, divided quarterly, its first and fourth quarters in red and second and third quarters in white. A cross is superimposed over the quarters’ inner edges, itself divided into four sections with their colors counterchanged (colors alternated) with the quarter they border; thus, white in the first and fourth quarters, and red in the second and third. Charged on the quarters are a plow, a hatchet hammering a stake, an atomic symbol, and a peace pipe. A green oak-leaf wreath borders the shield on either side.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Symbolism

The shield represents law and protection. The plow symbolizes pioneer agriculture in the Oklahoma Territory in 1889; it is also on the seal of the original Creek Nation in whose country Oklahoma City is located. The hatchet and stake recall the “89’ers” staking land claims in the Oklahoma Territory. The atomic symbol portends an industrial and scientific future. The peace pipe echoes the pipe smoked in Native American councils, and the pendant of eagle feathers suggests the great eagle in flight, signifying high aims. The wreath of post oak leaves symbolizes Council Grove, a site in Oklahoma City founded in 1858 by Jesse Chisholm where Native Americans, military, and trade councils met. That area was set aside in 1889 by the federal government to harvest its sturdy post oak timber for Fort Reno.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Selection

Mayor Ron Norick asked for a new design after learning that residents in the sister city of Taipei, Taiwan, could not immediately recognize Oklahoma City in its former city flag.
Flag adopted: 8 February 1994 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Designer

Mark McFarland, a man with cerebral palsy, who donated his design to the city.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

More about the Flag

The city council gave McFarland a standing ovation at the session where the flag was adopted. Cognizant of legal actions taken against other U.S. cities (especially, in this case, Edmond, Oklahoma) where crosses on flags have been said to represent Christianity, McFarland maintained that the cross here merely serves as an “artistic divider” to provide sufficient distance among the various symbols.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Seal

image located by Paul Bassinson, 13 November 2019

Source: https://www.okc.gov/
Paul Bassinson, 13 November 2019

1965 flag

image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.

The first flag of the city might be termed an armorial banner, since it is really the blazon of the seal's shield extended into a rectangle. Unlike the current flag, the cross on the original flag is not counterchanged, but a solid white. Mrs. Daniel C. Orcutt created the flag for the city's 75th anniversary and the city council adopted it officially on 20 July 1965. She was inspired by the design of the city's seal, adopted on 23 February 1965 (designer unnamed), and by Donald Hogland, a city resident expert in heraldry (and whose eight-page handwritten letter with carefully drawn illustrations to the council on the subject is officially appended to the ordinance of adoption). The flag's proportions are 2:3.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Oklahoma City Police flag

image located by Valentin Poposki, 15 January 2007

From http://www.ocpd.com/:
"OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

The official flag with visuals, verbiage and colors emphasizing the traditions and strength of the Department. The badge was one of the first organized badges to be worn by officers. The navy blue background color depicts police service and the bright gold exemplifies the excellence of the Department. The translations of the Latin words on the banner are Service, Pride and Honor.

The first flag produced is now on display inside the front entrance of Police Headquarters, above the first stair landing."
Valentin Poposki, 15 January 2007

Oklahoma City Fire Department flag

image located by Paul Bassinson, 16 March 2021

An image of the flag of the Oklahoma City Fire Department obtained from https://www.facebook.com/OKCFD/photos/a.383370935018903/839074169448575 shows that it is blue with the badge beneath the name.
Paul Bassinsson, 16 March 2021