The Family Needs A Father: Happy Father’s Day
Father’s Day a brief history on how it became a national holiday in America. Read all the trials and tribulation required for Fathers in order for them to be recognized as the hero they are to us.
After the success of Anna Jarvis with her advocating for Mother’s Day, Sonora Smart Dodd founded Father’s Day in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd was born in Arkansas but later moved to Spokane, Washington where the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910.
Who was Ms. Sonora Dodd?
Ms. Sonora Dodd wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran, and single father of six children. His name was William Jackson Smart. Sonora Smart Dodd after hearing in church the story about Anna Jarvis and her work for Mothers of America became inspired. After the sermon Ms. Dodd went to her minster and told him of her intentions and requested his help. The minister couldn’t put a sermon together by June 5th, which was Sonora Dodd’s father birthday and instead suggested the third Sunday of the month of June.
Did it stick?
For the next two decades Father’s Day lost its steam and was in limbo until Sonora Dodd return to Spokane from Chicago and started promoting the celebration again. This time she sought help from the Father’s Day Council, founded by the New York Associated Men’s Wear Retailers and they conducted ad campaigns to promote Father’s Day despite the fact the newspapers made fun of them. They ran negative articles and cartoons in their papers making fun of a commercial Father’s Day.
The Father’s Day Council did not give up. They ran campaigns using the newspaper ads and jokes to promote their holiday. The Father’s Day Council efforts didn’t work for Congress when brought before them in the teens, the 20’s and the 50’s! Then in 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers. In 1972 Richard Nixon signed into law a permanent national holiday
Papa’s Pearls
In 2012 Diane Flynn Keith wrote a wonderful book about her father. It’s called Papa’s Pearls you can find it at her website here. You may want to read it or give a copy to your Father. Which, is a great story for any family that has a Papa who also shared his wisdom with his family.
Interestingly, in 1980 the Father’s Council wrote that “Father’s Day has become a ‘Second Christmas’ for all the men gift-oriented industries.” Now you know more about your Father. Now everyone go wish a Happy Father’s Day To All The Fathers who are out there.
