Department of Health and Human Services (U.S.)

Last modified: 2022-08-27 by rick wyatt
Keywords: departmental | health and human services | united states |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

image by Sergio Horta, 12 February 2001

• Description of the flag
• Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services - Admiral
• Surgeon General
• Deputy Surgeon General
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

See also:

• Food and Drug Administration
• Public Health Service
• Department of Health, Education and Welfare
• Departmental Flags
• United States of America

Description of the flag

The Department of Health and Human Services was the successor of the previous Department of Health, Education, and Welfare after Education was given its own department under the Carter Administration (1977-81). The seal of the department is a stylized eagle with wings elevated in profile, made up of alternating blue and gold stripes forming the faces, also in profile, of a man, woman, and child. According to drawings prepared by the Army Institute of Heraldry on 13 November 1980, which I found in the Institute's files today (corroborating Jack Kowalski's information):

The departmental flag is ultramarine blue with the departmental seal in old gold. For indoor use (52 x 66 inch size), all flags have golden yellow fringe.
Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Construction sheet: Department of Health and Human Services
Created 31 March 2010; Supersedes original drawing created 28 November 1980.
Outdoor Flag Created: 2 February 2017
    Base: Ultramarine Blue (Cable 65010)
    Fringe: Golden Yellow (Cable 65001)

Secretary of Health and Human Services

image by Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Secretary of HHS has ultramarine blue with the departmental seal in old gold and an old gold star in each corner.
Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Construction sheet: Secretary
Created 31 March 2010; Supersedes original drawing created 28 November 1980.
    Base: Ultramarine Blue (Cable 65010)
    Stars: Old Gold (Cable 67105)
    Fringe: Golden Yellow (Cable 65001)

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services

image by Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Deputy Secretary of HHS (originally Under Secretary) has a white flag with the departmental seal in old gold on a blue disk, and an old gold star in each corner.
Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Construction sheet: Deputy Secretary
Created 31 March 2010; Supersedes original drawing created 28 November 1980.
    Base: White (Cable 65005)
    Stars: Old Gold (Cable 67105)
    Fringe: Golden Yellow (Cable 65001)

Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services

image by Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

Assistant Secretaries of HHS have white flags with the departmental seal in ultramarine blue and an old gold star in each corner.
Joe McMillan, 14 December 2001

"The white flag, with the DHHS seal applied using blue embroidery stitching or appliqué, is the positional flag for the Assistant Secretary, DHHS flag. This flag is no longer used by the ASH when the appointee is also commissioned as a 4-star Admiral. The Assistant Secretary, DHHS flag is displayed when the ASH is a civilian appointee."
Dave Fowler, 24 September 2014

Construction sheet: Assistant Secretaries (Excluding the Assistant Secretary for Health when incumbent is a USPHS admiral)
Created 31 March 2010; Supersedes original drawing created 28 November 1980.
    Base: White (Cable 665005)
    Stars: Old Gold (Cable 67105)
    Fringe: Golden Yellow (Cable 65001)

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

According to a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control, there is no flag for that organisation. They simply use a logo (like the FDA).
Sean McKinniss, 25 March 2003