by Laney Rowland

Created on: June 02, 2008   Last Updated: June 02, 2011

Today Americans look at Father's Day as an opportunity to thank Dad for his love and support by giving him gifts and treating him to dinner and a stress-free day. For families with fathers serving in the war, it is a day to pray for their parents' safe return and give gratitude for the protection they provide to their families from abroad. The history of Father's Day does not veer far from this idea. But it does provide a heartfelt insight to the events that led Americans to honor our male role models on a national level, whether they be fathers, uncles, grandfathers, or just good old family friends.

The first celebration of Father's Day, though no credit is taken, was held in Fairmont, West Virginia, on July 5, 1908. The day was celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, which is today known as the Central United Methodist Church. The idea for the celebration was suggested to the church's pastor by Grace Golden Clayton, and is believed to have been inspired by a deadly mine explosion which killed 361 men in Monongah, West Virginia. It is also believed that the suggestion was inspired by Mother's Day, as it was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, just 15 miles away, two months prior. However, because Fairmont residents acknowledge that they did nothing to spread the word of Father's Day beyond their own town line, they grant credit to Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd.

Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by her father, as well as the already-acknowledged celebration of Mother's Day. Sonora's mother died while giving birth to her youngest sibling. Dodd's father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, was left to raise her and her five siblings alone in Spokane, Washington. Her original suggestion for the holiday was to be celebrated on June 5, the anniversary of her father's death. However, because of the limited time that day allowed organizers for arrangements, the holiday was held off until the third Sunday of June. This day, June 19, 1910, would be recognized as the first celebration of Father's Day.

Later the holiday began to receive recognition on a national level by several presidents who in turn gave it the momentum it deserved. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge provided his support and suggested the day be made a national holiday. Then in 1926, the National Father's Day Committee was formed and met for the first time in New York City. But although the holiday had many supporters and was already recognized by most, it wasn't until 1956 that the Joint Resolution of Congress recognized the observance of Father's Day.

Finally, the ball was rolling at full speed with Congress on board, and in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Father's Day to be a national holiday. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon made the final contribution by signing Father's Day permanently into law as a celebration to be held on the third Sunday of June throughout the United States of America.

Today the holiday lives on, and unlike most, it is not one started by greeting card companies or manufacturers to increase revenue. It is a holiday to remember that fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and all male role models, serve a very important purpose in the lives of their children in their own lifetime and beyond. It is not simply to honor those who are still with us today, but also those who have died for us, so as we may continue to live life in a free America. It is a recognition of our forefathers and a model for our fathers to be.

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