Executive Order 10798—Flag of the United States

WHEREAS the State of Alaska has this day been admitted to the Union; and WHEREAS chapter 1 of title 4 of the United States Code provides that a star shall be added to the union of the flag of the United States upon the admission of a new State into the Union and provides that that addition to the flag shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding the admission of that State; and WHEREAS the interests of the Government require that orderly and reasonable provision be made for certain features of the flag: NOW, THEREFORE, under and by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. Proportions. National flags and union jacks for all departments and other agencies of the executive branch of the Government (hereinafter referred to as executive agencies) shall conform to the following proportions: Hoist (width) of flag------------------ 1 Fly (length) of flag ------------------ 1.9 Hoist (width) of union ---------------- 0.5385 (7/13) Fly (length) of union ----------------- 0.76 Width of each stripe ------------------ 0.0769 (1/13) Such further proportions as are set forth on the attachment hereto. That attachment is hereby made a part of this order. SEC. 2. Sizes. (a) Flags manufactured or purchased for executive agencies shall be limited to those having hoists as follows: (1) -------------------- 20 feet (2) -------------------- 19 feet (3) -------------------- 14.35 feet (4) -------------------- 12.19 feet (5) -------------------- 10 feet (6) -------------------- 8.94 feet (7) -------------------- 5.14 feet (8) -------------------- 5 feet (9) -------------------- 3.52 feet (10) ------------------- 2.90 feet (11) ------------------- 2.37 feet (12) ------------------- 1.31 feet (b) Union jacks manufactured or purchased for executive agencies shall be limited to those the hoists of which correspond to the hoists of the unions of flags of sizes herein authorized. The size of the union jack flown with the national flag shall be the same as the size of the union of that national flag. SEC. 3. Position of stars. The position of each star of the union of the flag, and of the union jack, shall be as indicated on the attachment hereto. SEC. 4. Public inquiries. Interested persons may direct inquiries concerning this order to the Quartermaster General of the Army. Inquiries relating to the procurement of national flags by executive agencies other than the Department of Defense may be directed to the General Services Administration. SEC. 5. Applicability; prior flag and jack. (a) All national flags and union jacks manufactured or purchased for the use of executive agencies after the date of this order shall conform strictly to the provisions of sections 1 to 3, inclusive, of this order. (b) The colors carried by troops, and camp colors, shall be of the sizes prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for the armed forces of the United States and the sizes of those colors shall not be subject to the provisions of this order. (c) Subject to such limited exceptions as the Secretary of Defense, in respect of the Department of Defense, and the Administrator of General Services, in respect of executive agencies other than the Department of Defense, may approve, all national flags and union jacks now in the possession of executive agencies, or hereafter acquired, under contracts awarded prior to the date of this order, by executive agencies, including those so possessed or so acquired by the General Services Administration for distribution to other executive agencies, shall be utilized until unserviceable. SEC. 6. The flag prescribed by this order shall become the official flag under chapter 1 of title 4 of the United States Code as of July 4, 1959. SEC. 7. Revocation. Executive Order No. 2390 of May 29, 1916, is hereby revoked. SEC. 8. This order shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE, January 3, 1959.