15 Jun 08 Father’s Day

Sonora Dodd of the State of Washington wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. He successfully raised his six children. As an adult, Sonora realized the selfless sacrifices of her father, and since he was born in June, she chose to celebrate the first Father’s Day in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910.

While President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day as early as 1924, it was President Lyndon Johnson, in 1966, who signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day. President Richard Nixon signed the law that finally made it permanent in 1972.

Tags: adult, calvin coolidge, civil war veteran, dodd, giving birth, lyndon johnson, president calvin coolidge, president lyndon johnson, president richard nixon, presidential proclamation, richard nixon, selfless sacrifices, spokane washington, state of washington, william smart