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Some say the first celebration of Father's Day was in Vancouver, Washington.  Others note a mention in a church in West Virginia in 1905.  Certainly the American Greeting Card Company began printing and selling Father's Day cards for profit before there was a recognized holiday.  And by 1915, the Chicago chapter of the Lion's Club was honoring fathers.

However, credit for the holiday generally goes to Mrs. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington.

Mrs. Dodd and her five siblings were raised by their father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran who lost his wife during the birth of their sixth child.  He never remarried.  As Mrs. Dodd grew to adulthood, she came to realize the caliber of man who had kept their family together with his unfailing love.  After hearing her minister preach the glories of motherhood, Mrs. Dodd asked him to dedicate June's first Sunday service to her father because it was nearest the date of his birthday.  The minister, who needed time to prepare, agreed to do it on the third Sunday of June instead.

Mrs. Dodd knew other fathers should be honored and began her push to make Father's Day a recognized holiday.  On June 19, 1910, interdenominational leaders met at the YMCA in Spokane and passed a resolution to observe Father's Day.  Mrs. Smart, who observed the custom of wearing flowers on special occasions, suggested red blossoms to represent a father still living and white for fathers who had passed on.

 

It took many US presidents to make Father's Day official. 

• In 1916, Woodrow Wilson agreed Father's Day was a grand idea. 

• In 1924, Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Father's Day as a national day of observance.  

• Lyndon Baines Johnson, in 1966, signed a proclamation marking the third Sunday in June Father's Day. 

• In 1972, President Nixon made Father's Day a true national holiday despite the fact that celebration had been on-going for six decades. 

Of course we need to let the man who has guided us know he is cherished beyond all words. 

• Make dinner or  a special dessert

• Take your father or father figure to the movies

• Buy Dad a new saw, book or video

• Take him to the ball game or give him tickets to go with a buddy

• Make a serious effort not to fuss or point out one more chore the man could be doing. 

No matter your age - be it in person, by phone, by e-mail or greeting card - don't forget to thank your special guy and say, "I love you."