No Motto for Oklahoma

It has long been believed that “Labor Omnia Vincit”, or “Labor Conquers All Things”, is the state motto.  However, the framers of the Oklahoma Constitution did not establish an official state motto.  Although it is described in the Constitution as part of the description of the Great Seal of Oklahoma, there is no indication that it was meant to indicate a state motto.

Oklahoma Motto, Inc., a nonprofit, bipartisan patriotic group, has researched the issue and determined that our state has never declared an official state motto.  Their research of the Oklahoma State Constitution discovered that the word “motto” does not appear.  They also researched the Oklahoma Statutes from the beginning of statehood and could find no mention of establishing a state motto for Oklahoma.

The origin of our national motto comes from the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry” by Francis Scott Key, containing the phrase, “And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust!’” Set to the tune of “Anacreon in Heaven”, this became our national anthem, the “Star Spangled Banner”.

While the words “In God We Trust” were added to United States coins in 1864, it was not until 1956 that this phrase replaced “E Pluribus Unum” as the United States national motto.

Although the State of Florida adopted the phrase “In God We Trust” as the official motto of their state in 2006, Oklahoma Motto, Inc., believes that “Oklahoma — In God We Trust!” would be both different and legal.

Therefore the House of Representatives of Oklahoma with concurrence of the Senate move to designate the official motto of the State of Oklahoma is hereby declared to be: “Oklahoma-In God We Trust!”.