There are several versions of "who had the idea" of National Clown week and
"who convinced Congress" to pass the Proclamation. We think several people had the idea and several people worked on convincing Congress. We are glad that everybody succeeded in their goal. Many thanks to all of them. Here are the two versions of what happened.
Frank "Kelly the Clown" Kelly
Clown Week's humble beginnings were in the 1950's. Not much happened 'till 1966 when the first International Clown Week chairman, Frank "Kelly the Clown" Kelly, was appointed by Ray Bickford, president of Clown Club of America.
In 1967 Clown Club of America members were urged to
write to their congressmen and senators requesting a presidential
proclamation naming August 1-7 as National Clown Week.
On October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both the House and Senate and was sent to President Richard Nixon for his signature.
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BILL "BOOM-BOOM" BAILY
Bill was an original member of Clowns of America when it was founded in 1967 and held membership number 81. He was named the U.S. Chairman of National Clown Week.
Because each year a chairman had to be chosen in each state to ask their governor to issue a proclamation honoring National Clown Week, Bill pushed for National Clown Week publicity.
He convinced Congressman Garmatz of Maryland and Congressman Myers of Indiana to introduce a joint resolution in Congress establishing National Clown Week as an annual event. He lobbied congress and organized a visit by clowns to the senate building in Washington, D.C.
The joint resolution was signed into law by President Nixon on August 2, 1971. Bill remained International Clown Week Chairman for Clowns of America and Clown of America International until his death.
Bill was honored by induction into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1996.
Checkout the web page on his International Clown Hall of Fame Induction
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