Benny Benson

About

Aleut man who, in 1927, won a contest to design the flag used to represented the Alaskan Territory before it became a U.S. state. His design was inspired by the constellations visible from the orphanage where he grew up.

Before Fame

He was sent to live in an orphanage at age three, shortly after the death of his mother.

Trivia

He was awarded $1000 for winning the Alaskan flag contest, which he later used to attend the Hemphill Diesel Engineering School.

Family Life

He was married to Betty Van Hise from 1938 to 1950. He had daughters named Anna and Charlotte.

Associated With

He and Robert Heft, who designed the 50-star American flag, are both famous for their flag designs.