Ohio’s own Robert Heft may not be as famous as Betsy Ross, but it’s his flag that will be saluted across the country this Fourth of July.

Heft was a junior in high school in 1958 when his history teacher assigned the class a project that demonstrated their interest in American history. Heft made an updated flag with 50 stars, reflecting the news that Hawaii and Alaska were set to become states.

Heft’s teacher wasn’t impressed and gave him a B-minus, telling him that his grade would improve if his flag was accepted by Congress. It was a flip remark, but Heft called his bluff, and Congress, and the White House, did just that.

He was persistent enough that President Eisenhower called him in 1960 to let him know that his flag had been chosen to represent the United States.

Watch Great Big Story’s video to learn more about the grand old story behind the 50-star American flag.