From 1981: May 1 Marks Loyalty Day

The following letter to the editor was published about 30 years ago, appearing in the Hartford Courant on April 27, 1981.
The U.S. Code on Loyalty Day reads as follows:

(a) Designation.— May 1 is Loyalty Day.
(b) Purpose.— Loyalty Day is a special day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.
(c) Proclamation.— The President is requested to issue a proclamation—

(1) calling on United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Loyalty Day; and
(2) inviting the people of the United States to observe Loyalty Day with appropriate ceremonies in schools and other suitable places.

According to TPM:

Loyalty Day, ... -- which apparently began as 'Americanization Day' -- was established amid the anti-Communist fervor of the early 1920s in the wake of the Russian Revolution. Congress made it official, and President Eisenhower signed it into law ... Unfortunately, though, May 1 was getting a little crowded, and he felt obligated to bump Child Health Day to make room.

A proclamation has been issued by most presidents since Eisenhower in 1959, including Kennedy, Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, and Obama.
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