{"id":92193,"date":"2023-06-16T09:21:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T13:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=92193"},"modified":"2023-06-16T09:21:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T13:21:55","slug":"a-look-back-at-fathers-day-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/a-look-back-at-fathers-day-in-america.html","title":{"rendered":"A Look Back at Father\u2019s Day in America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry searches old newspapers to see how Father\u2019s Day has been celebrated in the past. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, <\/em>AnceStory Archives<\/em><\/a>, and a Facebook group, <\/em>New England Family Genealogy and History<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

1933<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1933 a big daddy highlighted in the newspaper was an Italian immigrant, Charles Vincent Diggilio (also spelled Digiglio), son of Joseph and Maggie (Rener) Digiglio, who married Rosalie Marchiafava<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 18 June 1933, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reported:<\/p>\n

\u201cFather\u2019s Day is a good idea,\u201d says Charles (Jim) Diggilio, 46, of 2713 Council Street [Dallas, Texas]. \u201cOh, I got lots of reasons for saying so,\u201d he further asserts. \u201cEleven of them I will have around the table for Father\u2019s Day dinner and one will be missing but accounted for.\u201d These reasons are the twelve children that Diggilio and his good wife have begotten and raised in their twenty-six years of married life. But both say a dozen is quite enough and that there will be no more.<\/p>\n

Diggilio was born on a little farm in the vicinity of Palermo, Italy. He came here at the age of 15, settling in Donaldsonville Parish, Louisiana. There he met and married his wife, Rosa, and there the first five children were born. The oldest is Maggie [married Joseph Bennett Scotch], then came Joe [married Mildred Juanita Compton<\/a>]. Both these are now married and have children of their own. Sam was next. He died at the age of 16, but his picture occupies an honored place in the Diggilio home to this day.<\/p>\n

About this time Diggilio came to Dallas and opened a little grocery store. This was nineteen years ago.<\/p>\n

[Photo caption:] With the papa away at the back, the names of the children at the front end follow:<\/p>\n

Salvador, 2 years 6 months; Ross, 7; Frank, 12; Charles Jr., 10; Tony, 14; Pauline, 15; Frances, 16; Lucy, 19; Anne, 18; Mary, 20; Maggie, 25.<\/p>\n

The oldest boy, Joe, is away on a farm and could not get on the picture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1935<\/strong><\/p>\n

In June 1935, on the 25th<\/sup> anniversary of the founding of Father\u2019s Day, an honorary mention with a photo image was made for William Jackson Smart, the progenitor.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Riverside Daily Press (Riverside, California), 13 June 1935, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Smart\u2019s daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd, was the \u201cmother\u201d or founder of Father\u2019s Day, in 1910. You can read more from GenealogyBank writer Gena Philibert-Ortega<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Civil War vet, Smart was born at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Laban and Mary (Bowen) Smart and died in Spokane, Washington, in 1910. His care and devotion to his children inspired the creation of a national day to honor all fathers. Smart\u2019s wife died in childbirth with her sixth child and Sonora, the only daughter, helped in the raising of her younger brothers.<\/p>\n

In this article, Sonora detailed her family\u2019s trauma of losing her mother and how her grief-stricken father carried on as a solo parent:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026for more than two decades our father kept lone paternal vigilance over his motherless children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis father of ours was stern and exacting. Only in times of childish hurt and sorrow did he relax into tenderness. The spiritual and physical development of his children to become useful, upright citizens was to him his mother-father obligation.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1946<\/strong><\/p>\n

This 1946 article was about Father\u2019s Day gifts and the Father of the Year medal.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 16 June 1946, page 18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article quoted William Jennings Bryan, who said, \u201ctoo much emphasis cannot be placed upon the relation between parent and child.\u201d It added that president Calvin Coolidge fully supported the recognition of Father\u2019s Day in 1924.<\/p>\n

The commercial aspect of this celebratory day was great for merchants who made sure their stores were stocked with everything dads need.<\/p>\n

In 1946, the National Father\u2019s Day Committee of New York chose ex-Marine Al Schmid<\/a> of Philadelphia, who was blinded on Guadalcanal, to receive the Father of the Year medal.<\/p>\n

Two more mentions of notable daddies that showed up on that committee\u2019s list were Frank Sinatra (Radio Father of the Year) and Ralph Bellamy<\/a> (Stage Father of the Year).<\/p>\n

1952<\/strong><\/p>\n

This 1952 article featured actor, comedian, and singer Dennis Day. The hallmark photo of Day and his three young sons is a classic.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 15 June 1952, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dennis Day was his stage name. He was born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty<\/a> to Patrick McNulty and Mary Grady in New York. He married Margaret Ellen \u201cPeggy\u201d Almquist<\/a>, born to Arthur Almquist and Margaret Bahan. The couple had 10 children.<\/p>\n

1953 <\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1953 a Father\u2019s Day feature photo was more of a birth announcement for Gary Steve Kofnovec, born 7 pounds and 14 ounces on Father\u2019s Day to Anton Paul Joe Kofnovec<\/a> and Willie Mae Sykora. Pictured is the proud father Anton (left) with Joe M. Dealey (right), assistant secretary of the Dallas Morning News<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 23 June 1953, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Because his son was born at two minutes past midnight, Dealey presented the new father with a gift to honor the first child born on Father\u2019s Day that year. The present was an Argus C-3 camera with flash attachment. No doubt many memorable shots were made of the new tot!<\/p>\n

1967<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1967 the Boston Record American<\/em> newspaper featured one of their own for Father\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Record American (Boston, Massachusetts), 19 June 1967, page 20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The photo caption read:<\/p>\n

Big Day \u2013 This was truly Father\u2019s Day to [Arthur] Archie Newman, 99 Hawthorne Street, E. Weymouth. The Record American photographer took over the baby feeding chores while he sported the usual tie and cigar always given to fathers around the country. Looking on as Newman feeds Peter are Janette, Arthur Jr., Lawrence, Julianne, and Matthew. Newman is looking forward to Mother\u2019s Day next year when he can take a rest. Who took the picture? Mrs. Janet Newman [born in Dover, New Hampshire, as Janet Melanson to Albert and Claire (Bradley) Melanson].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Happy Father\u2019s Day!<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Father\u2019s Day sign at the strawberry farm in Queensland, Australia. Credit: Kgbo; Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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