Ohio's State Poetry Day

In 1938, the State of Ohio set the third Friday of every October as Ohio Poetry Day. This was the first poetry day established by a state government in the United States.Tessa Sweazy Webb spent thirteen months lobbying the Ohio General Assembly to create Ohio Poetry Day. She argued, "For each living reader a living poet, for each living poet a living reader." After Ohio approved Webb's idea, other states adopted a day dedicated to poetry as well.