The tumultuous history of the celebrating of Mother’s Day as a national holiday also created problems for the intended recognition of a special day for the masculine gender.
Whereas Mother’s Day has been recognized since 1913 as a country wide event in the United States, Father’s Day had a rougher route of travel before President Richard M.
Nixon signed Proclamation 4127 on May 1, 1972, establishing a national holiday on the third Sunday in June.
Spokane, Washington native Sonora Smart Dodd had been advocating since June 5, 1910 to the city’s ministerial association to create a celebration on her father’s birthday. He was a widower and had raised Dodd and her five brothers.
Although she got the preacher’s group approval, the event could not be held on his birthday date.
Since 1905 supporters of the Mother’s Day holiday had tried to make the event a national holiday but Congress had rejected such a proposal in 1908 and it was not until 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation to that effect.
Williams Jennings Bryan, unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee in three campaigns, had tried to declare the holiday as did Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Lyndon B. Johnson
It was mainly through the efforts of a Republican member of the House of Representatives from the State of Washington to continue to push for Sonora Dodd’s goal.
Like the successful marketing atmosphere created by Hallmark Cards, bakers, and florists on Mother’s Day the masculine version of appreciation for dad also became a political hot potato.
Although it was celebrated in some form in over 100 countries worldwide, it was not granted permanent recognition until an emotional edict by President Richard M. Nixon in Proclamation 4127 signed a joint resolution of Congress that was approved on April 24, 1972.
The admonition of Alabama football legend Paul “Bear” Bryant to contact Mother on May 9, 2021 is equally appropriate to recognize Father on June 20, 2021.
(Excerpts from “The Little Book of Answers” – Author – Doug Lennox – (2003) – MJF Books – New York, NY 1001.)