Dixie Cornell Gebhardt, named for her southern heritage, made patriotic contributions that helped make Knoxville known as the Birthplace of the Iowa Flag. As DAR State Regent in 1917, Mrs. Gebhardt appointed a flag committee that, after soliciting anonymous suggestions from more than 81 chapters and state officers, selected her typically neat handiwork as Iowa’s flag. Governor Harding approved her design that year and once referred to her as Iowa’s Betsy Ross. In 1921, she received a copyright for the design and immediately transferred it to the state of Iowa. Iowa had become the 29th state in 1846 and, nearly 75 years later, became the 46th state to officially adopt a state flag in 1921. The original 1917 drawing was intended to identify Iowa military regiments during World War I. Its blue, white, and red symbolized loyalty, purity, and courage, drawing inspiration from the American flag and the flag of France, which had claimed the land twice until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. By using the national bird carrying the state motto, Gebhardt expressed that Iowa is an integral part of the United States. Her other interests included the First Methodist Church, the Red Cross, P.E.O., Chapter M, Mary Marion Chapter DAR, and the Democratic Party. She lived most of her life in Knoxville and is buried in Graceland Cemetery.