Whitney Smith

Whitney Smith (1940–2016) was an American scholar of flags who coined “vexillology” and founded the Flag Research Center.

Vexillology: The scholarly study of flags, including their history, symbolism, design, and use. Smith coined the term and helped define the field it names.
Carl Sagan: An American astronomer and science communicator who helped design the Voyager Golden Record. Sagan invited Smith to advise on the symbolic design of the Voyager message.
Flag: A piece of fabric or other material bearing a distinctive design and used as a symbol or signal. Flags are the objects Smith made the central subject of systematic study.
Voyager Golden Record: A phonograph record sent aboard the Voyager spacecraft containing sounds and images intended for extraterrestrial life. Smith advised on symbolic communication for this message beyond Earth.
Flag Research Center: An organization founded by Whitney Smith to collect and study flags and related materials. Smith created this center as a base for research and documentation.
Annin & Co.: An American flag manufacturer founded in 1847. Smith’s flag scholarship intersected with the practical world of flag production.
Heraldry: The system of designing, displaying, and describing coats of arms and related insignia. Heraldic conventions provide historical precedents for many flag designs.
Flag of the United States: The national flag of the United States, consisting of stars and stripes. Smith’s historical and symbolic methods can be applied to this familiar national emblem.
International Federation of Vexillological Associations: An international federation that connects organizations devoted to the study of flags. Smith helped establish this international network for the discipline.
Alfred Znamierowski: A Polish vexillologist, heraldist, and author of reference works on flags. Znamierowski represents the international scholarship Smith’s field brought together.

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