WHEREAS, Recognizing the necessity for a symbolic representation of the City of Chicago in the form of a municipal flag, Alderman James A. Kearns of the 31sl Ward introduced a resolution in 1915 to the City Council to appoint a Municipal Flag Commission to conceive and submit an appropriate design for review and approval by the Mayor and members ofthe Council; and
WHEREAS, For several years prior to 1915, Alderman James A. Kearns had studied and monitored the development, progress, and formal introduction of flags bearing municipal emblems in other domestic and international cities; and
WHEREAS, Working closely with Frederic Rex of the Chicago Municipal Library in City Hall, Alderman James A. Kearns and Frederic Rex entered into a correspondence with officials in Boston, New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Richmond, Virginia and Baltimore to ascertain the procedural steps they had taken to design and unveil their local flag; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council approved the resolution to establish the Municipal Flag Commission on July 12, 1915; and
WHEREAS, Upon passage of the resolution, Mayor William Hale Thompson appointed Alderman James A. Kearns to serve as Chairman ofthe Municipal Flag Commission; and
WHEREAS, Other distinguished Chicagoans named to the Commission by Mayor Thompson included Frederic Rex appointed as secretary, Alderman John A. Richert ofthe 4th Ward, Alderman Herman E. Miller of the 20th Ward, Mary E. McDowell of the Chicago Women's Club, Lawton Parker of the Chicago Art Commission, author-lecturer Wallace Rice, Charles L. Dering and William H. Harper of the Chicago Association of Commerce, landscape artist Charles Francis Browne, architect Henry K. Holsman, Clarence A. Burley of the Chicago Historical Society, John Fitzpatrick of the Chicago Federation of Labor, and Mrs. Lewis K. Torbet of the Daughters of the American Revolution; and
WHEREAS, In November 1915, Alderman James A. Kearns authorized Frederic Rex to pre...
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