Father’s Day In America Send feedback to webmaster@USCitizenshipTeachers.org by Ryan Moore

History of Father’s Day Sonora Smart Dodd is the woman credited with creating Father’s Day in America.

Sonora Smart Dodd’s father, Henry Jackson Smart was a Civil War veteran and a widower who raised his children as a single father. Sonora was sitting in church in 1909 listening to a Mother’s day sermon and it made her think of all that her father had done for her after her Mother died.

She felt that the important role that father’s play in their children’s lives was being disrespected. She decided that there should be a special day set aside for Father’s Day and began a National Campaign.

Religious leaders rallied around her cause and the first Father’s Day was held in 1910 in her home town of Spokane, Washington. Sonora chose to celebrate Father’s Day in June because her Father was born in June Mother’s Day was immediately accepted and made into a National holiday but Sonora faced a lot of resistance in getting Father’s Day accepted.

14 years after the first Father’s Day celebration Sonora got President Calvin Coolidge to publicly support making Father’s Day a national holiday.

Congress however was opposed to President Coolidge’s plan to make it a national holiday. They were afraid that the holiday would become commercialized. Father’s Day did not die out however, with Sonora’s support a trade organization was started in the 1930’s called the National Council for Promotion of Father’s Day. Their goal was to establish Father’s Day as a commercial holiday.

In 1966 (56 years after the first Father’s day) President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Father’s Day an official national holiday.

In 1972 President Nixon signed a law making Father’s Day a national celebration on the third Sunday of June.

Father’s Day Traditions Father’s day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday in the U.S.

Ties were the traditional gift Other gifts are clothing, sporting goods, tools, electronics and other things.

The official flower for Father’s Day is the Rose. The red rose is worn or displayed to honor a father that is still alive

A White Rose is meant to honor a Father who has passed away.

The most common way to celebrate Father’s Day , other than sending cards, is to have a family get together. Popular ways to celebrate are having a family cook out.

Going out to eat at a Restaurant with the Family.

Or having a family picnic.

However you celebrate Father’s Day, it is a way to thank father’s for all they have done for us.