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        “SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE:

        Design Trends of the Mid-20th Century”
        By Donald-Brian Johnson

                    Father Knows Best: Celebrating Dad’s Day






                                                                                                                        decades went by without official
           Once a year (at least), Dad
        gets his due. That’s when                                                                                       recognition. Why the delay?
        Father’s Day rolls around. It’s                                                                                 Well, according to one member
                                                                                                                        of the Florist’s Exchange,
        our opportunity to celebrate all                                                                                fathers just didn’t have the same
        the great dads out there. . .but
        without “Mother’s Day”, our                                                                                     “sentimental appeal” as mothers.
                                                                                                                        Finally, in 1966, Lyndon B.
        sires might still be in search of a
        celebration to call their own.                                                                                  Johnson officially proclaimed the
                                                                                                                        third Sunday in June as “Father’s
           The first Mother’s Day
        observance was held on May                                                                                      Day”. In 1972, a law to that
        10, 1908 at Andrew’s Methodist                                                                                  effect was signed by Richard
                                                                                                                        Nixon, and 90-year-old Sonora
        Church, Grafton, West Virginia,
        In Fairmont, West Virginia, just                                                                                Smart Dodd was around to see it
                                                                                                                                happen.
        15 miles from Grafton,                                                                                                    By then, of course,
        Grace Golden Clayton
        was immediately                                                                                                         Father’s Day had become
                                                                                                                                what the Father’s Day
        inspired by the event.
        On July 5, 1908,                                                                                                        Council called “ a
                                                                                                                                second Christmas for all
        Clayton organized                                                                                                       the men’s gift-oriented
        a “Father’s Day”
        service at Williams                                                                                                     industries.”
                                                                                                                                         Continued on Page 19
        Memorial Methodist
        Episcopal Church
        South. Hundreds of                                                                                                      SHOWN TOP TO
        area fathers (including                                                                                                 BOTTTOM- An easy-going
        Clayton’s) had perished                                                                                                 Father’s Day: Dad reclines,
        in a December, 1907                                                                                                     in a hammock of “real
        mining disaster. She’d                                                                                                  net”, on a card by Gibson.
        suggested the event as                                                                                                  • A Hallmark greeting
        a means of honoring                                                                                                     from 1950 begins “From
        these men, as well as all                                                                                               Alaska to Nebraska”, and,
        fathers.                                                                                                                on successive pages,
           Clayton, however, was not a promoter. Following                                                 manages to make it around the globe.  The final
        the 1908 “Father’s Day”, the idea of a holiday                                                     message: “From Savannah to Havana -- From
        honoring the man of the house languished until                                                     Quebec to Timbuctoo -- There’s no wife who loves
        1910, when Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane,                                                           her hubby half as much as I love you!” • Getting
        Washington was similarly inspired. After hearing a                                                 the message across: faux “typewriter ribbon”
        Mother’s Day sermon, Dodd became convinced that                                                                              adds to the theme.
        Dad also needed a                                                                                                            Golden Bell, 1943. •
        day. She suggested                                                                                                           Winging across the
        June 5th, her own                                                                                                            miles: airplane visual
        father’s birthday,                                                                                                           on a 1952 Rust Craft
        but time was short.                                                                                                          card “designed by a
        The celebration was                                                                                                          member of Boston’s
        delayed until June                                                                                                           Rust Craft Artists’
        19, 1910, when                                                                                                               Guild”. •  A day spent
        ministers throughout                                                                                                         fishing gets the
        Spokane praised                                                                                                              cartoon treatment
        Dads from their                                                                                                              in a 1947 Rust Craft
        pulpits.                                                                                                                     card. • A Golden Bell
           Father’s Day                                                                                                              (Gartner & Bender
        caught on with the                                                                                                           Inc.) card from 1943,
        public and retailers,                                                                                                        “For A Model Dad”,
                                                                                                                                     featuring raised
        yet despite Dodd’s                                                                                                           wooden lettering.
        tireless promotion,
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