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Father's Day Origins Span Spokane to National Honor
The idea for Father’s Day emerged in Spokane Washington in 1910 after a sermon by Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, raised six children alone after his wife's death. Initial support came from ministers and the Spokane YMCA, with later endorsement from William Jennings Bryan. Official recognition arrived in 1972 under President Nixon after decades of advocacy. The observance stands as America’s fifth largest card sending occasion with about 85 million cards exchanged.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Spokane
Washington
West Virginia
Sonora Smart Dodd
Dodd
Spokane Ymca
Congress
Woodrow Wilson
Calvin Coolidge
Margaret Chase Smith
Richard Nixon
America