The idea of Father’s Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.

A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration! 101 years ago, June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth.

The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

Father’s Day numbers

70.1 million – Estimated number of fathers across the nation.

(Source: Unpublished data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation)

25.3 million – Number of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 2010. 22 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households only). Three percent lived in someone else’s home.

(Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements – http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html)

Mr. Mom

154,000 – Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2010. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 287,000 children.

(Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements – http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html)

Obama touts importance of fatherhood

U.S. Representative Joe Pitts introduced a “resolution recognizing the critical role that fathers play in the development of children and supporting responsible fatherhood. Studies continue to demonstrate that the active participation of fathers in the lives of their children has positive academic, emotional, and mental effects. On this Father’s Day we need to honor all of the men who stay involved with their children and teach them critical life skills.”