Driver, William (1803-1886), was an American sea captain who gave the name Old Glory to the United States flag. When he was 21 years old, Driver became licensed to command his first ship. As a farewell gift, his mother and some friends gave him a U.S. flag. He called the flag Old Glory and flew it on his ship, the Charles Doggett, during his voyages around the world. In 1837, Driver settled in Nashville. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), he kept the flag hidden inside a quilt so it would not be harmed. The Driver family donated the flag to the Smithsonian Institution in 1922. Driver was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 17, 1803. He died in Nashville on March 3, 1886.
