Reports suggest the time honored tradition was not initially a welcomed idea.
Wired PR News – Many have wondered how the tradition of honoring fathers on the third Sunday in June every year, ever came to pass. As reported on Yahoo! Buzz, the beloved holiday may have never came to be had it not been for the dedication of Sonora Smart Dodd, who the majority of historians credit for it’s creation.
Dodd is quoted in the report as having been “inspired by her father, a widower and Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart,” and sought to honor him and other fathers by proposing the holiday to a then all male Congress, which initially rejected the idea citing it may appear too self-centered. Regular citizens at the time were overwhelmingly against it as well proposing that holidays such as those to recognize fishing would be more worthwhile. However, it was eventually found suitable for recognition and made a national event in 1924. It was declared a holiday via a proclamation in 1966, becoming law in 1972.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia User BCantrall
