A Moment in Time

"The Pledge of Allegiance: A Kansas Connection"

September 2002
By Bobbie Athon

A monthly series from the Kansas Historical Society

The Story Begins Columbus Day, 1892

James Bailey Upham, editor of The Youth's Companion, persuaded President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 to ask Congress to declare October 12 a national holiday in honor of "the discovery of America" 400 years earlier. On June 20, 1892, the Congressional resolution passed creating Columbus Day.

"The flame of patriotism is dying out in this country," Upham said. "and I believe the place to revive that intense spirit is among America's schoolchildren."

Immediately, Upham and Francis Bellamy, who worked in the Boston office of the Companion, launched an effort to place an American flag at every schoolhouse in the nation. In addition, the two wanted to publish a vow of loyalty that could be recited by schoolchildren. Bellamy crafted the 23 words that appeared in the September 8, 1892 edition of the Companion, although the verse was published unsigned. On October 12, 1892, 12 million schoolchildren across the nation recited the words:

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The Kansas connection begins in 1896, with Lillian Hendricks, president of the Woman's Relief Corps of Kansas. Hendricks encouraged the high school principal in Cherryvale to set aside a recitation hour for the 16 members of the senior class to write about their debt and duty to their country and government. High school student Frank E. Bellamy's composition was so impressive to Hendricks that she entered it in a national contest. President William McKinley selected the winning entry. Frank E. Bellamy's 23-word entry was chosen. The words were the same as those written by the other Bellamy, Francis Bellamy. The composition written by the Cherryvale high school student was the "The Pledge of Allegiance."

A story entitled, "A Kansas Schoolboy Wrote Our Pledge of Loyalty to the Flag" and published by the Kansas City Star in 1917, led to speculation about the true author of the "Pledge." Hendricks defended the Kansas student, Frank E. Bellamy, and insisted that there was no definitive proof that he had ever seen the published version, much less intentionally plagiarized the "Pledge." In the 1930s, the United State Flag Association conducted a formal investigation. The final report, issue in 1939, credited Francis Bellamy and The Youth Companion as the true authors of "The Pledge of Allegiance."

These and other stories of Kansas history can be found in the collections of the Kansas Historical Society, which contains library and archives holdings, and artifact collections. The Center for Historical Research is open to the public 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday. The Kansas Museum of History is open 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday; 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The two facilities are located at the Kansas History Center, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka KS 66615-1099; 785-272-8681; TTY 785-272-8683; www.kshs.org.

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