On Presidents Day, we celebrate the Father of America and his indelible mark on history.

Our nation’s first president was born near Popes Creek, Virginia, on February 11, 1731. That date might have some students of history scratching their heads. George Washington’s birthday is February 22. But, at the time of his birth, the colonies followed the Julian calendar. So, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar, Washington’s birth date shifted by one year and 11 days to February 22, 1732.

The man from Mount Vernon was a farmer, military leader and statesman who answered the call of his fellow citizens to lead the new nation as its first president. Washington’s instrumental leadership during the Revolutionary War, Constitutional Convention and his presidency earned him the epithet “Father of His Country.” His two-term presidency shaped a clear executive branch and set precedents for his successors, including an inaugural address and presidential cabinet.

During the height of the Civil War, Washington’s Farewell Address was read before a joint session of Congress on the 130th anniversary of his birth to boost patriotism and national unity. Senator Andrew Johnson of Tennessee opposed secession and said the time had come to reflect on the “doings of Washington and the patriots of the Revolution, who founded the government under which we live.” Since 1893, a member of the U.S. Senate has read the 7,641-word address in observance of Washington’s birthday during legislative session, including Senators Harold E. Hughes (1974) and Lafayette Young (1911) of Iowa. This year, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi will continue the annual tradition. Washington’s written address is viewed as one of our nation’s founding documents, a testament to his selfless love of country and pursuit of America’s promise for posterity.

How did the federal holiday come about?

Post-Reconstruction, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed legislation making Washington’s birthday a federal holiday. Until 1971, Washington’s birthday was among nine federal holidays celebrated on various days of the week. Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, shifting Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day and Veterans Day to Mondays. During the Ford administration, Veterans Day returned to its historical date of significance, November 11.

Shifting the observance of Washington’s birthday to the third Monday in February meant it would never fall on February 22. In the years following, many states and the retail industry adopted “Presidents Day,” creating the widespread belief the federal holiday was enacted to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday falls on February 12. Notwithstanding the legacy of the Great Emancipator, history shows the federal holiday originated so future generations would learn about our first president, the nation’s founder who set the American experiment up for success for generations to come.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge established the Bicentennial Commission to plan for Washington’s 200th birthday, complete with events and ceremonies across the country. He said, “Washington was the directing spirit, without which there would have been no independence, no Union, no Constitution, and no republic…We still cannot yet estimate him.” Iowa’s native son, President Herbert Hoover served as its chairman. He and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover visited Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon in 1932. Later that day, Hoover addressed a joint session of Congress to commemorate Washington’s lasting footprint in American history. He called upon Americans to renew “the inspiration that comes from George Washington as founder of human liberty, as the father of a system of government, as the builder of a system of national life.”

At the 250th anniversary on February 22, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared the nation’s first president was a “giant for freedom” whose “star shines brighter than ever…the pursuit of liberty and justice under God … is the most revolutionary idea the world has ever known.”

In seven years, we’ll celebrate the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth. Three centuries later, as we strive to form a more perfect Union, I have great hope in America. Each generation must live up to the principles outlined in Washington’s Farewell Address. He urged cohesion and unity among Americans. He warned against foreign entanglements and partisanship, writing: “The name of American…must always exalt the just pride of patriotism.”

Washington’s name is memorialized across the country, from the nation’s capital city to the 42nd state in the Pacific Northwest, schools, bridges and more. His likeness is carved on Mount Rushmore. The iconic Washington Monument is the tallest obelisk in the world, described by President Hoover as “the country’s eternal tribute to the courage and uncompromising strength of the founder of this Union of States.”

On Presidents Day, let’s reflect on Washington’s life, legacy and leadership. He galvanized patriots to declare independence, led a “ragtag” army to defeat the British and voluntarily gave up power twice. By resigning his military commission and stepping down from the presidency after two terms, the Father of America remained resolute to restore power to the people. That’s the secret sauce to the American experiment.

——

Chuck Grassley, a Republican

from New Hartford, represents Iowa

in the U.S. Senate.