In honor of the historic black bear hunt by President Theodore Roosevelt, the teddy bear, and The Great Delta Bear Affair, Governor Phil Bryant has proclaimed October 27, 2018 as Teddy Bear Day in Mississippi!
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WHEREAS, in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt went to the Mississippi Delta to hunt black bear, but he refused to shoot a tethered bear; and
WHEREAS, a political cartoon memorialized this incident for posterity; and
WHEREAS, the owner of a New York City toy store saw the cartoon and asked the President’s permission to use the name “Teddy’s bears” on a small stuffed bear cub toy (and the President consented). “Teddy’s bears” soon became just “Teddy bears,” and now all stuffed toy bears are called teddy bears; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi designated the teddy bear as the official state toy in 2002; and
WHEREAS, The Great Delta Bear Affair was organized to celebrate this historic event in 2002 to observe the 100th anniversary of that famous hunt. It has become an annual event for Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and
WHEREAS, The Great Delta Bear Affair provides opportunities to educate Mississippians and visitors about the past history and current status of the black bear and other natural resources within the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Phil Bryant, Governor of the State of Mississippi, hereby proclaim October 27, 2018, as
TEDDY BEAR DAY
In the State of Mississippi.
