Earth Day Flag

1969-1970

Students at the Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois, carried this flag in a procession to the Illinois State Capitol on the first National Earth Day, on April 22, 1970. The flag, which measures 61 by 36.5 inches, has green stripes symbolizing a clean Earth, white stripes symbolizing clean air, and the Greek letter theta symbolizing death. LHS science teacher Ray Bruzan turned Room 308 into the school’s “Environmental Action Center” during the 1969-70 school year. The flag was sewn by the mother of one of his students.