While many people believe that
Father's Day is a holiday invented by the fine folks at
Hallmark, it's not so. The celebration of Dad's special
day can most likely be credited to Mrs. John B. Dodd, of
Washington State, who first suggested the idea of the
holiday in 1909.
Mrs. Dodd's father, civil war veteran William Smart, was
widowed when his wife died during childbirth with their
sixth child. Despite the obvious hardships, Mr. Smart
proceeded to raise the newborn along with his five other
children, by himself.
It wasn't until Sonora Dodd became an adult that she
realized the strength and selflessness her father had
shown in raising his children as a single parent. The
original date chosen for the holiday was June 5, Mr.
Smart's birthday, however the celebration was postponed
until June 19, the third Sunday in June, because there was
not enough time to prepare.
At about the same time in various towns and cities across
America other people were beginning to celebrate a
Father's Day. Some accounts credit Mrs. Charles Clayton of
West Virginia, as the founder of Father's Day, although
most histories give credit to Mrs. Dodd.
In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of
celebrating Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd favored the red rose
to honor a father still living, while a white flower
honored a deceased dad. J.H. Berringer, who also held
Father's Day celebrations in Washington State as early as
1912, chose a white lilac as the Father's Day Flower.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a
national Father's Day, but it never became official until
1966 when President Lyndon Johnson signed the presidential
proclamation that set aside the 3rd Sunday of June as
Father's Day.
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