Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia is recognized as the founder of
National Grandparents Day. Her goal in 1973 was to educate the youth in
her community about the important contributions seniors have made
throughout history. She also urged the youth to "adopt" a grandparent,
not just for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime. McQuade organized
supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen
in all fifty states and urged each state to proclaim their own Grandparents
Day. Within three years, she received proclamations from forty- three states
and sent copies to Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV).       
 
In February, 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other
senators, introduced a Joint Resolution to the Senate requesting then-
President Jimmy Carter to "issue annually a proclamation designating the
first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National
Grandparents Day’. Congress passed the legislation and President Carter
signed the proclamation on August 3, 1978.
 

Marian McQuade (left) with Senator Jennings Randolph