The History of Father’s Day and Awesome Gift Ideas

Did you know that Father’s Day wasn’t a national holiday until 1972?  The holiday’s origins are fascinating because it started as a less popular day than the trendy Mother’s Day.  Mother’s Day, which was first recognized in 1914, was highly commercialized with greeting cards and sales of flowers, candy, and chocolates.  We thought it might be fun to share a little about the history of Father’s Day to encourage you to plan ahead to honor and celebrate all the dads in your life this June 19, 2022!

The History of Father’s Day Covers Almost 60 Years

Father’s Day, for some reason, didn’t have that same appeal.  One accounting of the holiday’s beginnings included this note:  “[they] scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products—often paid for by the father himself.”

The first observed Father’s Day happened in 1909 when Sonora Smart Todd, daughter of a widowed farmer and Civil War veteran, convinced her church and the YMCA to set aside a Sunday in June to celebrate fathers.  The church chose the third Sunday in June to allow ample time between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to adjust their sermons.  Fathers and sons of deceased fathers received fresh-cut roses for their lapels.

The road to becoming a national holiday was a long one.  Here are a few of the milestones:

• 1916:  President Woodrow Wilson and his family observed Father’s Day.
• 1924:  President Calvin Coolidge signed a resolution in favor of the holiday “to establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.”
• 1966:  Presiden Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order officially assigning the holiday to the third Sunday in June.
• 1972:  President Richard Nixon encouraged Congress to pass an act making Father’s Day a national holiday.

Are you looking for a gift for your dad this Father’s Day?

At the Eagle Point Golf Course, you’ll find a wide range of gift ideas for the golfing dad in your family.  Treat your remarkable man to a round or two of golf on our world-class Robert Trent Jones, Jr. 18-hole course.  Or make it a day with a one-on-one golf instruction session, a round of golf, and then dinner at our Talon Grill.  If rest and relaxation are important, consider booking a room in our luxurious Chalets at the Resort at Eagle Point and make it a weekend full of golf.

Whatever your budget, our staff can help you put together the perfect golfing package together as a Father’s Day Gift.  Simply give us a call at 541-826-8225 to start planning your gift.