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Designer of 50-star flag looks back at his high school project

Friday, July 3, 2026


Robert G. Heft designed the 50-star American flag as a high school project in Lancaster, Ohio. His teacher initially gave the assignment a B-minus grade. Heft's design was adopted by President Eisenhower in 1959 after Alaska and Hawaii became states. Heft later became a vexillologist, the study of flags, and has lectured about flag design for decades.

Original reporting: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/03/nx-s1-5879510/designer-of-50-star-flag-looks-back-at-his-high-school-project

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