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A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Time now for StoryCorps. We'd like to revisit a story we brought you in 2009 about how the U.S. got the current version of its flag. It was 1958 when Bob Heft, a junior in high school, designed the 50-star flag, but there were 48 states at the time. Heft had a hunch that two more states would be added soon.
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BOB HEFT: In American history class, we had to do an outside-of-class project. We could make and do whatever we wanted, like a science fair or something like that - you bring the project in. The Betsy Ross story intrigued me. And my mom and dad - they had a 48-star flag they'd received as a wedding present, which, of course, meant a lot to them. Well, I took a scissors and cut it up. I had never sewn in my life. I'd watched my mom sew, but I'd never sewn. And since making the flag of our country, I've never sewn again.
So anyhow, we get to class. I had my flag on the teacher's desk, and the teacher said, what's this thing on my desk? And so I got up and I approached the desk, and I'm shaking like a leaf. And he said, why you got too many stars? You don't even know how many states we have. And he gave me the grade of a B-minus. Now, that - a B-minus isn't that bad of a grade. However, a friend of mine, Jim (ph) - he picked up five leaves off the ground - he's taping these leaves down to the notebook and labeling elm, hickory, maple. And the teacher gave him the grade of an A. I was really - I was upset. The teacher said, if you don't like the grade, get it accepted in Washington, then come back and see me. I might consider changing the grade.
Two years later, I had written 21 letters to the White House - made 18 phone calls. Now, you can imagine when my mom got the phone bill. What's this number? I said, well, Mom, that's the White House. So anyhow, I got this call and it said, now, the president of the United States is calling you later on today. Well, at that time, Eisenhower was president, and he comes on the phone and he says, is this Robert G. Heft? And I said, yes, sir, but you can just call me Bob. And he says, I want to know the possibility of you coming to Washington, D.C. on July Fourth for the official adoption of the new flag.
And so I have the grade book. It's encased in plastic. It's kept in a bank. My teacher - he said, I guess if it's good enough for Washington, it's good enough for me. I hereby change the grade to an A.
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MARTÍNEZ: A-grade student Bob Heft at StoryCorps in Saginaw, Michigan. Heft died in 2009. His interview is archived in the Library of Congress.
And if you want to make your own mark on American history, take part in Connect250. It's a new project from StoryCorps and MORNING EDITION celebrating America's 250th birthday. You'll be matched with someone from a different part of the country, where you can talk about your lives and help create a time capsule of American stories. It, too, will go to the Library of Congress. Sign up at connect250.org. That's connect250.org.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE KINGS OF DIXIELAND'S "STARS & STRIPES FOREVER") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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