| "Any man can be a father. It takes someone | | | | honor their fathers. Apparently, their efforts bore |
| special to be a dad." (Author unknown.) | | | | fruit because more and more people began to |
| Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with the idea | | | | buy gifts for Fathers' Day. |
| of pursuing an official Fathers' Day observance | | | | Mrs. Dodd continued to push the idea and hoped |
| similar to the one already in place for honoring | | | | the celebration would be on June 5th, which was |
| mothers. She was actually listening to a Mothers' | | | | her father's birthday, but President Lyndon B. |
| Day sermon at the time, and thought that fathers | | | | Johnson eventually ended up designating the third |
| were being left out-why shouldn't they have a | | | | Sunday of June each year as the official date for |
| day, too? Actually, there had been a few | | | | all future fathers' day observances. Interestingly |
| recorded instances where fathers were | | | | enough, Fathers' Day had still not been designated |
| recognized, but she wanted an official holiday for | | | | as an official holiday. |
| fathers. | | | | Although many U.S. citizens, including their |
| A lot of people thought the idea was silly and | | | | presidents continued to observe an unofficial |
| claimed that it would lead to too many official | | | | Fathers' Day where fathers were honored by |
| holidays. They laughed at the idea of buying gifts | | | | their families, it wasn't until 1972 that Fathers' Day |
| for dads, treating him to special dinners out, etc. | | | | was finally recognized as an official holiday by |
| Merchants didn't laugh at the idea though. They | | | | President Richard Nixon. Fathers' day is recognized |
| were more than willing to promote the idea. The | | | | by a number of other nations, but usually |
| YWCA, the YMCA and many churches also | | | | celebrated on different days of the year from |
| offered support for a Fathers' Day observance, | | | | the June date in the United States. |
| so Mrs. Dodd started on her quest to honor the | | | | Currently, Fathers' Day is promoted for several |
| fathers of America. | | | | weeks before the actual holiday arrives, and the |
| Mrs. Dodd did succeed in getting the recognition | | | | majority of fathers report receiving some sort of |
| she sought for fathers, but it took many years | | | | recognition, cards, gifts, visits, tools, gift |
| to make it official. The first bill to reach congress | | | | certificates, etc. from their children on this day |
| was introduced in 1913, but it was unsuccessful. | | | | each year. Many schools now encourage children |
| Eleven years later, in 1924, President Calvin | | | | to make cards or gifts, not only for Mothers' Day, |
| Coolidge became interested in the idea and a | | | | but also for Fathers' Day. |
| committee was formed to make further | | | | Are you one of the lucky ones whose father is |
| attempts to legitimize the holiday. Not surprisingly, | | | | still around for you to honor? If so, take some |
| members of the committee were from various | | | | time out of your day on June 21 and pay a visit, |
| trade groups. | | | | make a phone, call, send a card or an inexpensive |
| Other merchant groups started pushing for a | | | | gift. This is one place where the old saying, "It's |
| National Fathers' Day in an attempt to profit from | | | | the thought that counts," is really true. |
| the gifts they hoped to sell to people wishing to | | | | |