Presidents' Day, honoring United States' presidents on the 3rd Monday in February, was never implemented by the U.S. Government. This unofficial holiday was established by aggressive advertisers, shifting emphasis from the actual birthdays to a three day weekend with plenty of department store sales. Most Americans believe that the day was established by law, and combined the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln.
John Gutzon de la Borglum proposed a much grander plan to celebrate his favorite presidents. Doane Robinson had read about Borglum's Stone Mountain carving and invited John Borglum to South Dakota. Borglum may have realized that Stone Mountain would only achieve regional success, so he offered an idea of national interest; the U.S. Presidents. Borglum suggested carvings of Washington and Lincoln for the Black Hills site. Borglum also suggested a friend and conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt. Thomas Jefferson was added, which rounded out the theme of Manifest Destiny.