For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 15, 2001
Father's Day, 2001
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Americans celebrate Father's Day as a unique
time to reflect on the importance of fathers and to honor their vital
role in the lives of children. For those who have been
blessed with our own families, this day also provides an opportunity to
reaffirm our commitment to being the best possible fathers for our
children.
Father's Day was originally the
idea of Sonora Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, Civil War veteran
Henry Jackson Smart. As Sonora's sole surviving parent
following the death of her mother, Mr. Smart made great sacrifices for
his daughter and raised her with courage, selflessness, and abiding
love. To enable all Americans to participate in paying
special tribute to their fathers, President Calvin Coolidge first
recognized Father's Day in 1924.
During
childhood, boys and girls look to their fathers for a sense of
security, warmth, attention, patience, and understanding. As
young people mature, their fathers contribute to their spiritual,
emotional, physical, financial, and social well-being. In
reaching adulthood, men and women alike are enriched immeasurably by
the wisdom of their fathers as they pursue careers, start families, and
take active roles in the community.
For boys
and girls raised without a father in the home, the challenges can be
great. Seventy-five percent of American children raised in a
one-parent household will experience poverty before they turn 11 years
old, compared to only 20 percent of children in families with two
parents. Children in homes where the father is absent are more likely
to be suspended from school or to drop out, be treated for an emotional
or behavioral problem, become suicidal as adolescents, or become
victims of child abuse or neglect.
As a
society, we must support fathers in fulfilling their responsibilities
to their families, which may include not only biological or adopted
children, but also stepchildren or foster children. Fathers
must be prepared to nurture and care for their sons and daughters, and
to do so in the context of a strong and committed
marriage. To promote responsible fatherhood, my
Administration has proposed providing financial support to community
and faith-based organizations that help fathers and to programs that
strengthen marriage and promote successful parenting. We
also propose funding to support the expansion of ongoing State and
local fatherhood initiatives and helping community groups that try to
provide young men with role models.
Our
society must strive to produce a generation of men who are ready to
become the best possible fathers. Let us set a good example
for America's sons by valuing the responsibility and importance of fatherhood. Let us also honor and be
thankful for the caring, decent, and hardworking fathers who make such
a tremendous difference in the lives of their children and families.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President
of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution
of the Congress approved April 24, 1972 (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby
proclaim June 17, 2001, as Father's Day. I encourage all
Americans to express love and respect for their fathers, as well as
appreciation for the vital contributions of fathers to families and to
society. I direct the appropriate officials of the
Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government
buildings on this day. I also call upon State and local
governments and citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
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