Call for Scholarly Contributions: Flag Day Monument

by JMC
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Flags at a parade

Call for Scholarly Contributions: Flag Day Monument

 

The Fox Valley Patriotic Organization (FVPO) invites scholars to contribute educational content for their Flag Day Monument in Batavia, Illinois.

The Fox Valley Patriotic Organization (FVPO) has set out on an impressive plan to create a national caliber monument to celebrate this symbol of our great Nation. The Flag Day Monument idea started as a conversation about how we could celebrate Flag Day every day, and honor Dr. Bernard Cigrand, a resident of Batavia, Illinois, at the time of President Woodrow Wilson’s Flag Day Proclamation in 1916.

Monument design elements detail our nation’s history beginning in 1776 and continuing through the present day, marked by 25-year increments. The design features a 40′ diameter helix monument with 6′ wide walkway around the perimeter. The flagpole is 50′ tall and will display a 10′ x 18′ flag. The design of the monument is such that it is both an interactive educational display as well as a timeline representing many of our nation’s trials and triumphs.

Request for scholarly content:

The FVPO is seeking contributions from history scholars, historians, and university faculty to assist in developing this monument to include educational historical information on an online platform.

The Flag Day Monument will have many historical features representing iconic flag events and U.S. historical events. The FVPO is seeking contributions from scholars for the project in the form of historical content (new or existing).

This content will be featured on tours, on the monument’s website, and on its mobile application for smartphones. Contributors will be credited on the website and digital media, which have an expected viewership of 25,000 visitors a year.

The Flag Day monument will have many historical themes displayed on 50 plaques on the monument itself with QR codes directing visitors to our online educational platform. Content will need to be researched and provided on all the iconic events that will be included on the monument. The FVPO asks that content is non-partisan and designed to cultivate visitors’ knowledge of the Flag and its role in National and International events.

Content is not expected to be all encompassing, but should prompt visitors to the Monument to want to learn more about topics presented in the design features. 1500–2500-word summations of the topics will include links to source content for more details. Summations should contain lesser-known historical details not readily known to most visitors for engagement. There will be a plaque for each item listed below, with a couple paragraphs of information.  There will also be a QR code, to bring guests to more detailed information. There will also be historical content for all 27 versions of the US flag.

These events include:

Historical Events on the 5 monument obelisks

  1. Bernard Cigrand and the creation of Flag Day
  2. The Continental Congress’ 1777 establishment of the official flag and the role of Betsy Ross, the reputed seamstress
  3. Francis Scott Key, Fort McHenry and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner
  4. The raising of the U.S. flag over Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima on February 25, 1945
  5. The placing of the U.S. flag on the moon on July 20, 1969

Blue Bands in the Monument walls which reflect time periods our Nation has been at war:

  1. American Revolution
  2. War of 1812
  3. Indian Wars
  4. Mexican War
  5. Civil War
  6. Spanish-American War
  7. World War I
  8. World War II
  9. Korean War
  10. Vietnam War
  11. Desert Shield/Desert Storm
  12. Global War on Terror

White Bands reflecting historical events including but not limited to:

  1. Great Dust Bowl
  2. Great Depression
  3. National Expansion/ Lewis and Clark
  4. Space Race/Moon Program
  5. Civil Rights Movement
  6. Suffrage
  7. Tech Revolution
  8. Industrial Revolution
  9. Cold War
  10. Prohibition
  11. Monroe Doctrine

Recognition for scholarly contributions will include citations and credit on the monuments’ website and digital media. And an invitation and tickets to the Flag Day Monument Dedication Gala.

Submission instructions

If you are interested in joining the team of this exciting historic monument project, please provide:

  1. the topics you are interested in working on, and if possible, a summary of the above-mentioned topics that you would be interested in contributing;
  2. a reference page of research citations (can be done later);
  3. your CV/resume;
  4. and a timeline of completion.

For more information, please contact Joanne Spitz, Board Member of FVPO, at joannespitz1@gmail.com or 630-278-6337.

Click here to learn more about the Flag Day Monument >>

 

 

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