On this day (September 2) in 1839 Henry George was born.  Since his death in 1897, George’s followers have held various meetings and other celebratory events where they have read tributes and unveiled proclamations to honor the birth of the famous author and social reformer.

For the Centenary Celebration in 1939, George’s supporters read the following poem written by William Lloyd Garrison, Jr., the son of the famous abolitionist:

Time slumbers, but the centuries advance,
Bearing high legends that do not abate,
Of men symbolic of what’s good or great
For all mankind. Their task was to enhance
The common heritage, and dedicate
Their strength and genius, heeding not the hate
Of those who grasped the reins of circumstance.
To a young printer, earnest and self-taught,
Was granted inspiration to proclaim
A just and equal means of opening wide
The gates of opportunity, fast caught
By law and custom. In full flower he died.
Today he lives, as we invoke his name.
His great repute progresses with the years,
His message marches forward with the days
And rests not on mere rhetoric or phrase.