A device that many of us line up to use every few days or weeks was first unveiled on this date in 1885 — the gas pump. Sylvanus Bowser of Fort Wayne, Indiana made the pump for a customer to dispense fuel for lamps and stoves. As one might expect, the advent of automobiles spurred the development, popularity and distribution of the gas pump. Eventually, the inventor’s name became a generic term for a fuel dispenser, and gas pumps in New Zealand and Australia are still called “Bowsers.” Across the U.S., there are more than 114,000 gas stations doing over a half-trillion dollars worth of annual business. Each year, the pumps at these stations dispense nearly 131 billion gallons of gasoline. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the ‘America’s Economy’ mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
Saturday, September 6th. On this date in 1837, the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Ohio became the first college in the U.S. to grant equal status to men and women in degree programs. Now known as Oberlin College, its leadership reasoned that many mothers and sisters often served as the only teachers available on the nation’s frontier — so better educated women would make superior teachers. During its history, Oberlin was the first to routinely admit African-Americans, granted the first degree to a black woman, and was one of the first to have coeducational dormitories. Today, coeducational schools are the norm, and of the 42 percent of the population age 18 to 24 enrolled in college, more than 10 million are women, compared to not quite 8 million men. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, September 7th. This is National Grandparents Day — recognizing the love and help they provide, and their growing importance to the survival of many American families. The special day was the idea of Marian McQuade of Fayette County, West Virginia, and has been observed nationally since 1979. Today, grandparents are increasingly not just relatives to be visited on holidays and weekends, but part of the year-round household for many children. Some 7.1 million grandparents, together or separated, have around 5.6 million minor grandchildren living with them. Putting it another way, 10 percent of America’s children under the age of 18 live with at least one grandparent, and 2.7 million of those grandparents are responsible for the children’s’ care. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.