The College of Arms cannot grant arms to people not British subjects. Nor can it grant to Her Majesty’s subjects in Scotland and Canada, which have their own heraldic authorities to carry out that portion of her powers. The college may, however grant “honorary arms” to Americans who can either prove descent from a British subject in the male line or who have been honored by the Queen. Professor Ragen thus became eligible for a grant of honorary arms as well as an honorary badge when the Queen sanctioned his admission to the Order of St. John as an Associate Officer (Brother). (The “associate” status, which was used for those who were either not professing Christians or not Commonwealth citizens, had been abolished by the time Ragen received his first promotion.) Honorary Arms confer exactly the same privileges and are governed by the same laws and rules as other arms. The status seems to have been created primarily to avoid diplomatic problems with the United States, just as the honorary knighthoods and other honorary honors given to American citizens were: in both cases devotion to a Constitution that frowns on titles of nobility runs afoul of the natural human desire for ordered distinctions.*

Professor Ragen’s arms were granted in 1998. He counts receiving the splendid patent granting it, with its illuminated border, one of the high points of his life.
BAR as Younger Son Arms alone


Several years after being granted his own arms, Professor Ragen gained a right to a differenced version of another coat, when arms were granted to his brother, with the right to bear the arms extended to all the descendants of his grandfather. Information about the arms of Dennis Abel Ragen may be found here.

Ragen’s arms have been depicted by several heraldic artists, both by prominent independent heraldic artists and twice by unfortunately anonymous artists working at the College of Arms.

BAR shield

Ragen’s full achievement as depicted in the Patent
(This version shows a gentleman’s helm and decoration of an Officer (Brother) in the Order of St. John)
_______

onefaithfulharp4

Ragen’s full achievement as depicted in a library painting provided by the College of Arms.
(This version shows the appropriate helm and insignia for Knight of Justice in the Order of St. John)
_______

shallpraisetheeWEB

Ragen’s full achievement as rendered by Andrew Stewart Jamieson
(Showing the helm and insignia of a Knight of Justice in the Order of St. John)
_______

2catsWEB

Ragen’s simple arms as rendered by Andrew Stewart Jamieson

BAR Achievement from St. John Armorial

Ragen’s full achievement as depicted in
The Armorial of the Priory in the United States of the Order of St. John
Quentin James Kingsley Peacock, Illustrator

Ragen uses two armorial bookplates in contrasting style, each a perfectly correct depiction of the arms.

Marco Foppoli Bookplate

Bookplate designed and painted by Marco Foppoli,
showing the arms of Pomona College and Princeton University
and the decorations of the order of Malta, the order of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Order of St. John

ASJ Bookplate

Bookplate designed and painted by Andrew-Stewart Jamieson,
showing the achievement of a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John
and the the seals or arms of Pomona College, Oxford University, the University of California at San Diego,
Princeton University,Bryn Mawr College, and Southern Illinois University