The Gift of Father's Day

Father, dad, daddy, pa, papa. We all have our own special name for that very special man our lives. As children he was the defender of our dreams, bravely fighting closet monsters and chasing rouge dust bunnies from under our beds. He dashed away our tears with tickles and fed our spirit with hugs and games of catch. As we grew he was our leader, our mentor and our confidant. One day every year is dedicated to this special guy. This officially recognized holiday for our dads was not an easy campaign nor was it a fast one.

The earliest recorded Father's Day celebrations began in 1908. Mrs. Charles Clayton of West Virginia is credited with the first celebration honoring fathers. Soon after that in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd began a campaign for an official holiday observation for fathers. The devoted daughter of William Smart, Mrs. Dodd felt compelled to honor her father with an official holiday after listening to a sermon on the merits of Mother's Day. Her own father was a civil war veteran, who was left widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their 6th child. He was left alone to raise his family on a rural farm in Washington State. His love and attention to his children in spite of his own difficulties was inspiring and led people to join the movement and honor their own fathers.

In 1910, the first statewide celebration of Father's Day took place. The holiday was originally chosen to take place on June 5, William Smart's birthday, but was moved to June 19 when the Spokane city council needed additional time to approve the resolution.

Establishing Father's Day as an official holiday became a grass roots movement across the country. Harry C Meek, president of the Lions Club in Chicago became a driving force in getting people to recognize and celebrate the holiday. He gave several speeches around the US expressing the need for a day to honor our fathers. He brought so much public attention to the movement that in 1920 the Lions Club of America presented him with a gold watch with the inscription "Originator of Father's Day".

The holiday gained popularity and people began celebrating this special day for their dads in their own cities, towns, and families. By 1916 the holiday was even promoted by President Woodrow Wilson and in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge spoke out in support of a nationally recognized holiday.

Although the holiday might have been popular in the hearts and families of America, the process was much slower to make it an officially recognized holiday in America. In 1956, Father's Day was officially recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress and finally, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. In 1972 Congress officially recognized the holiday and President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day.

Like the origins of Father's Day, a father's love is steeped in perseverance, strength and dedication. This 3rd Sunday in June take some time to thank your dad and let him know how inspiring he has been to you.