Proclamation 4368

April 22, 1975

We Americans have traditionally set aside one day each year to give special honor to our mothers. In 1975, International Women's Year, this tribute takes on even greater significance.

Of the many occupations in which women serve today, one of the most demanding is that of being a mother. It is demanding not only because of the skills, knowledge and perseverance required, but because of the importance of success. There is no area of endeavor which can have a greater impact on our future than the care and guidance of our children and young people. It is appropriate that we observe Mother's Day in a manner which acknowledges our appreciation for our own mothers and our respect for all of those who perform this vital role in our society.

The Congress, by a joint resolution of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770, 36 U.S.C. 141, 142), designated the second Sunday in May of each year as a day on which we honor all mothers for their countless contributions to their families, to their communities and to the Nation.

Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States of America, do hereby request that Sunday, May 11, 1975, be observed as Mother's Day. I call upon government officials to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings, and I urge all citizens to display the flag at their homes and other suitable places on that day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-ninth.



GERALD R. FORD