I got my SS card back in the early 60s and I know that I didn't have a birth certificate then -- my parents weren't with me nor even knew that I was getting a card. I never saw my birth certificate until ten years later when I had to get a 'certified' copy after being hired out of college by a company that had a defined benefit retirement plan.
Maybe so. My Dad was with me, maybe he just brought it in case. And I think it’s funny your nickname is Ditto and you said that twice. :)
Interestingly I just went to the .gov website and they state you need proof of:
Citizenship, age, identity (if the child is under 12 the parent needs to be with them and prove THEIR identity.) In addition it says: “Social Security must verify a birth record for all U.S.-born applicants who apply for an original Social Security number. An exception is made for a parent who applies for a baby’s Social Security number at the hospital when the baby is born. To verify a birth record, Social Security will contact the office that issued it.”
Of course, I don’t know what it said back in the 1960s.
http://www.ssa.gov/ss5doc/