November 15, 1937 Al Capp, creator of the Lil' Abner cartoon strip invented Sadie Hawkins Day.  What he did not realize when he did this, is that he (In my opinion) helped create a step forward in the Women's Liberation Movement.  The idea of it being OK for a girl to chase a guy or ask a guy out to a dance, suddenly became appealing to both sexes.  Women now had an opportunity to confront that shy guy they liked.   :)

The story goes that Sadie was the daughter of Hekzebiah Hawkins, one of the founding fathers of Dogpatch.  Apparently gals got married around the age of 20. But, Sadie, who was "the homeliest gal in the hills", was now 35 and still unmarried. Oh what to do?

Her Pa didn't want to support her for the rest of her life and needed her to marry. So....he declared a Sadie Hawkins Day!  On this day a footrace was to be held and all the eligible men were to run and Sadie would chase them.  Whoever she caught and crossed over the finish line (or dragged over) would be her lawful wedded husband.  Her father started the race with a shotgun blast.  And, we all assumed that the blessed event was also a shotgun wedding.

Well, all the other single gals in Dogpatch thought this was a great idea. After all, if the homeliest gal in the hills could get a husband, why can't they?  So, Dogpatch now had an annual footrace in which the gals chased all the guys.

Where does the dance come in?  On the night before the race there was a dance.  All the single gals wore shoes with spikes on the bottom.  At this dance, they stepped on the guys' feet a lot so that the next day they couldn't run as fast. Oh those clever gals!
And, so a Sadie Hawkins Dance and footrace became an annual Dogpatch tradition.  The idea of giving women permission to chase after men caught on like wildfire
with Al Capp's fans.

 On November 9, 1938 the very first recorded high school "Sadie Hawkins Dance" was held..  Al Capp originally had no intention of giving this event a specific date.  But the public loved it so much, that quickly Sadie Hawkins Day Dances began  popping up in schools and colleges across the United States and turning it into an annual November event. The actual date of the dance varied upon the school's schedule.  But it is most commonly accepted that Sadie Hawkins Day is celebrated the first Saturday in November either on the 9th or after.  Note: On my monthly November holiday listings, this isn't true. It seems to be always listed in the Chase's Calendar of Events as the first Saturday in November, regardless of the 9th rule. So, that's how I list it. A bit confusing I know. :(

Because it was so popular,  Al Capp himself included a Sadie Hawkins storyline in his strip every November for over 40 years.

The irony is that Al Capp became the creator of a very popular American dance for schools across this country and yet he himself was an amputee.  He lost his leg at the age of 9 yrs. old in a trolley accident.  Drawing was a form of therapy that his father encouraged him to do.

I've read several articles and I can't find any information that Al Capp ever married?  Then I received an email (from Gwillim Law) telling me that he married Catherine Wingate Cameron in either 1932 or 1933.  They had two daughters, Julie and Cathy.  Anyone knows anything else, feel free to write me.

I'd like to add, that  Sadie Hawkins Day is not Leap Year Day!  See my page on The History of Leap Year!
Sadie Hawkins Day is November 15th.  Leap Year Day is February 29.  Although the theme is somewhat the same, "asking a guy to dance" vs. "asking a guy to marry you", they are not the same observances.

A few products for Sadie Hawkins' Day
or a Sadie Hawkins Day Dance.
Note: Since Sadie is now over 75 years old,
I upgraded her look on my products.

 For more in depth information check out the Links below: