June 16, 2023
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry searches old newspapers to see how Father’s Day has been celebrated in the past. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
1933
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.
This article reported:
“Father’s Day is a good idea,” says Charles (Jim) Diggilio, 46, of 2713 Council Street [Dallas, Texas]. “Oh, I got lots of reasons for saying so,” he further asserts. “Eleven of them I will have around the table for Father’s Day dinner and one will be missing but accounted for.” 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.
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]. 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.
About this time Diggilio came to Dallas and opened a little grocery store. This was nineteen years ago.
[Photo caption:] With the papa away at the back, the names of the children at the front end follow:
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.
The oldest boy, Joe, is away on a farm and could not get on the picture.
1935
In June 1935, on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Father’s Day, an honorary mention with a photo image was made for William Jackson Smart, the progenitor.
Smart’s daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd, was the “mother” or founder of Father’s Day, in 1910. You can read more from GenealogyBank writer Gena Philibert-Ortega.
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’s wife died in childbirth with her sixth child and Sonora, the only daughter, helped in the raising of her younger brothers.
In this article, Sonora detailed her family’s trauma of losing her mother and how her grief-stricken father carried on as a solo parent:
“…for more than two decades our father kept lone paternal vigilance over his motherless children.
“This 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.”
1946
This 1946 article was about Father’s Day gifts and the Father of the Year medal.
This article quoted William Jennings Bryan, who said, “too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the relation between parent and child.” It added that president Calvin Coolidge fully supported the recognition of Father’s Day in 1924.
The commercial aspect of this celebratory day was great for merchants who made sure their stores were stocked with everything dads need.
In 1946, the National Father’s Day Committee of New York chose ex-Marine Al Schmid of Philadelphia, who was blinded on Guadalcanal, to receive the Father of the Year medal.
Two more mentions of notable daddies that showed up on that committee’s list were Frank Sinatra (Radio Father of the Year) and Ralph Bellamy (Stage Father of the Year).
1952
This 1952 article featured actor, comedian, and singer Dennis Day. The hallmark photo of Day and his three young sons is a classic.
Dennis Day was his stage name. He was born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty to Patrick McNulty and Mary Grady in New York. He married Margaret Ellen “Peggy” Almquist, born to Arthur Almquist and Margaret Bahan. The couple had 10 children.
1953
In 1953 a Father’s Day feature photo was more of a birth announcement for Gary Steve Kofnovec, born 7 pounds and 14 ounces on Father’s Day to Anton Paul Joe Kofnovec and Willie Mae Sykora. Pictured is the proud father Anton (left) with Joe M. Dealey (right), assistant secretary of the Dallas Morning News.
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’s 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!
1967
In 1967 the Boston Record American newspaper featured one of their own for Father’s Day.
The photo caption read:
Big Day – This was truly Father’s 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’s 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].
Happy Father’s Day!
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Note on the header image: Father’s Day sign at the strawberry farm in Queensland, Australia. Credit: Kgbo; Wikimedia Commons.
