Kansas Stream 1991-92
On 7th February 1991 a small group men from Kansas, which included a Professor Thomas Oaster of Missouri University, came up with the idea of a 'men's day off' as a way to thank men for the contributions they give to society. The men's day off eventually became reconceptualised as International Men's Day and had it's first event attended by perhaps a small handful of men and women in 1992. The following Kansas City Star article seems to be the only record of this first event:
During 1991-92 Professor Thomas Oaster wrote a small booklet laying out his ideas for an International Men's Day and inviting others to join in. Here are a few excerpts from that book where he explans how the idea evolved:
The following are the main descriptive pages by Oaster regarding his vision for IMD. The remaining pages of the booklet not included here were mainly questionnaires for potential invitees: