Back in 1904 -- February 7th to be exact -- Francis Earle Hering (a Double Domer) proposed the idea of setting aside a day each year as a nationwide memorial to Mothers and Motherhood. Double-click on document above.
In 1898, Hering earned a bachelors in English (Litt.B.) and a bachelors in Law (L.L.B.) in 1902 from Notre Dame. He taught English from 1898-1902 and later served Notre Dame for many years as a Lay Associate of the Board of Lay Trustees and as President of the Notre Dame Alumni Association.