History of Parade of Historic Flags of America

               In the early 1950’s a thirty-minute poster illustrated lecture was the forerunner of the Parade of Flags sponsored by the National Patriotic Service Committee.  The lecture, based on “Flags of America” by A. H. Waldrens and “Flags of All Nations” from Compton’s Picture Encyclopedias, was the brainchild of two Dames, Mrs. C. N. Grovesnor of Tennessee and Mrs. Stuart Hilton Smith of Pennsylvania.  Between 1956 and 1958 Mrs. Smith wrote the 25-minute narration to accompany 34 slides of flags and seals, which was adopted nationally.

               By 1962 the flag poster and slide program had evolved into a program featuring a set of 18 silk flags (showing the famous flags in American History) with taped music and narration.  In 1976 a second set of  flags was acquired.  Several state societies have purchased their own sets of these 18 flags.  The National Society received the Freedoms Foundation Award for this program.

               When the Freedom Train began its historic journey in Delaware April 1, 1975, the Delaware Society was invited to participate.  Eighteen Dames carried the flags from our Parade of Flags, and later the New Yorker Magazine mentioned in the April 21^st issue that “Colonial Dames by the score” were present.