Illinois
State Flag
IL
The 21st state, admitted 1818
Illinois IL has had two state flags. In 1913, a contest was held for the
best state flag design offered by one of the Illinois chapters of the Daughters
of the American Revolution. Lucy Derwent's winning design took elements from the state seal designed
by Sharon Tyndale, Illinois's secretary of state in 1868. When an American officer in
Vietnam complained that the Illinois flag lacked distinction, the wheels were in motion for some
changes. The Illinois state flag was replaced in 1970 by a flag that was revised by Mrs. Sanford
Hutchinson. It contains an exact copy of Tyndale's state seal, with the world
"Illinois" in blue letters below. Illinois
State Flag Adopted: 1970