Mississippi Emblems and Symbols

STATE COAT OF ARMS: 
 Mississippi's Coat-of-Arms was adopted in 1894.  Inscribed on
the scroll is the STATE MOTTO -- Virtue Et Armis -- "By Valor and Arms."

David Ronald Musgrove was elected Mississippi's 62nd Governor on January 4, 2000. Governor Musgrove was born in Tocowa, Mississippi, in 1956 and was first elected to the Mississippi Senate in 1987. He has a history of serving the state of Mississippi diligently and honestly. Now he looks towards the future of Mississippi, towards a goal of progress and prosperity. He works for unprecedented goals and unparalleled progress.

STATE FLAG:  Designated in 1894, the state flag incorporates the national colors-- red, white, and blue -- and 13 stars for the original states of the Union.

PLEDGE TO THE FLAG:  "I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God."

THE GREAT SEAL: 
 The present state seal has been in use since Mississippi became a state in 1817.

STATE FLOWER AND TREE:
  In 1900, the school children of Mississippi selected the magnolia as the state flower.  In 1952, the Legislature selected the magnolia as the official state tree.

STATE BIRD:  
Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful mockingbird was selected as the official state bird by the Women's Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.