No Father’s Day for Nebraska in 1915

 

 

Governor John H. Morehead. HN RG2269-1

Governor John H. Morehead. HN RG2269-1

“For some years we have had ‘Children’s Day’ and ‘Mother’s Day,’” said the North Platte Semi-weekly Tribune on June 10, 1911, “and now thanks to Mrs. John Dodd, of Spokane, who originated the day, we are to have a ‘father’s day,’ and the date is next Sunday. Sermons in father’s honor have been requested the land over and it is suggested that a red rose be worn for living fathers and a white rose for those who have passed away.”

Mrs. Dodd, born Sonora Smart, of Spokane, Washington, had pushed for an annual Father’s Day observance in 1909. Her own father, a Civil War veteran, raised six children after his wife’s death. Mrs. Dodd circulated petitions and within a year, the city of Spokane agreed to honor fathers on the third Sunday in June, close to her father’s birthday. Meanwhile, cities and towns across the country began to celebrate the holiday, often with local variations.

In 1915 a group of Hastings women petitioned Nebraska Governor John H. Morehead to issue an official proclamation setting the fourth Sunday in October as Father’s Day in this state. Desiring that mothers have no “monopoly on remembrances,” a reference to Mother’s Day, the women asked that equal recognition be given to fathers. They also suggested that everyone be asked to wear a white chrysanthemum on the holiday as a token of love and reverence for Nebraska’s fathers.

However, Governor Morehead, who had a reputation as a practical businessman, declared that he did not believe there was any demand for such a holiday and declined to issue the requested proclamation. The Omaha Bee, not in sympathy with the governor’s decision, remarked on October 16, 1915, “Coming from an esteemed loyal member of the tribe [Morehead was the father of several children], this is the cruelest cut of all.”

Despite the lack of an official proclamation, some church services honored fathers on the fourth Sunday of October in 1915. Since 1972 Father’s Day has been observed as a permanent national holiday on the third Sunday in June.

You May Also Enjoy

Send a Valentine to your Valentine from Valentine: History of the Cachet Program

Send a Valentine to your Valentine from Valentine: History of the Cachet Program

Beaten and Battered: Conservation of a Field Drum, War of 1812

Beaten and Battered: Conservation of a Field Drum, War of 1812

Marker Monday: DeWitty – An African American Settlement in the Sandhills

Marker Monday: DeWitty – An African American Settlement in the Sandhills

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.