Pledge of Allegiance, a Kansas connection
James Bailey Upham, editor of The Youth’s Companion, persuaded President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 to ask the U.S. Congress to declare October 12 a national holiday in honor of "the discovery of America," which had occurred 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 Sept. 8, 1892, edition of the Companion, although the verse was published unsigned. On Oct. 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."
Courtesy the Kansas State Historical Society.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Students in Jay Black’s classroom at Great Bend High School stood Wednesday morning, placed their right hands over their hearts and recited the above 31 words. They joined students in other GBHS classes, following the lead of a schoolmate speaking the pledge over the building’s public address system.
For about three weeks, high school students have said the Pledge of Allegiance every school-day morning at the beginning of their second class period as part of the daily routine. Announcements are read, words of wisdom are passed on and the patriotic words of the oath ring through the halls.
However, this hasn’t always been the case. Where as the grade schools in Great Bend Unified School District 428 were doing the pledge, the high school was not.
"There is a state statute that requires it daily," said GBHS Principle Tim Friess. However, even though the statute dates back to the early 1900s, it remained obscure.
Education Statute 72-5308 reads, in part: "The state board of education shall prepare for the use of the public schools a program providing for patriotic exercises the board deems to be expedient, under such instructions as may best meet the varied requirements of the different grades in such schools. The program of patriotic observation of every school district shall include: (1) A daily recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; (2) instructions relating to flag etiquette, use and display; and (3) provisions relating to the observance in public schools of Lincoln’s birthday, Washington’s birthday, Memorial day, and Flag day and such other legal holidays designated by law. (b) The state board of education shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of subsection.
"I was asked (by someone in the community) if students still said the Pledge of Allegiance," said Dan Brungardt, district business director. "Upon further study of the matter, I found the statute. It looked like something we should be doing."
Brungardt said the elementary school were "for the most part" in compliance, reciting the pledge as a group or in individual classrooms. "There was no reason we shouldn’t do it in K-12."
Although the pledge is read building-wide, "this is not a mandatory thing," Friess said. "We’ve had some kids who don’t want to participate. We just ask them to be respectful."
On the other side of the issue, Friess said he’s had school personnel and students come to him with positive comments as well. "They’ve said thank you."
According to Brungardt, USD 428 was probably in the same boat as other districts in terms of following the statute.
