Henderson County, Kentucky Personalities

Mary Towles Sasseen

AFFIDAVIT OF E. S. CLARK

State of Kentucky )
) Sct.
County of Henderson )

E. S. CLARK of Henderson, Ky., being first duly sworn states:

That: In the year 1885 I came to Henderson to take charge of the City Schools as Superintendent, and am still a resident of the city. In June 1886, we installed in the City Schools a system of annual reception days in order to strengthen the relations between the parents and teachers. Miss Mary SASSEEN, then the Principal of the intermediate department, was greatly interested in this movement. She became the leader among all the teachers in promoting the reception days. As the years passed her enthusiasm grew and gradually assumed her mind the conviction that this should be made a permanent anniversary. From this conviction was evolved the conception of Mother's Day by her, becoming in our schools a fixed observance. This statement will establish the date of the origin in Miss SASSEEN'S mind of the occasion of Mother's Day to which she gave its name.

E. S. Clark

Subscribed and sworn to before me,
This 11 th day of December, 1923.
Martha D. F. Shackleford
Notary Public, Henderson County, Ky.
My commission expires July 8, 1925.