Founder of Rotary
Paul P. Harris
1868-1947
Paul Harris was born in
Racine , Wisconsin , USA
, on the 19th of April
1868, but grew up in
Vermont . He received
his education at the
University of Vermont,
Princeton University ,
and the University of
lowa, majoring in law,
graduating from lowa in
1891.
He worked as a newspaper
reporter, teacher,
actor, hotel clerk and
cattleman, and gained
much travel experience
through his work as a
salesman for a marble
and granite company in
the USA and Europe .
This allowed him to meet
many business people and
provided the capability
for joining with them to
start Rotary Clubs in
succeeding years.
In 1896 he went to work
as a lawyer in Chicago .
Four years later he
conceived the idea of a
club for professional
people in a small
community, and, after 5
years, he consulted with
three of his business
acquaintances, Mr.
Sylvester Schiele, a
stone mason, Gustavus
Loehr, a mining
engineer, and Hiram
Shorey, a men's tailor,
at a meeting on 23rd of
February 1905. Rotary
was born from this
meeting.
It was Mr. Paul P.
Harris who initiated the
name 'Rotary", since the
meetings moved, or
rotated, from one office
to another, in order
that each member could
gain ideas and knowledge
from learning something
about the professions
and businesses of the
other members.
The membership began to
expand rapidly.
The first Rotary Club
was the Rotary Club of
Chicago, and the second
rotary Club was formed
in San Francisco in
1908. After only another
2 years Rotary had
expanded to 16 clubs in
the USA , and in the
same year the first
Rotary Convention was
held with Mr. Paul P.
Harris elected as the
President of the
National Association of
Rotary Clubs. Rotary
later expanded to nearby
countries, such as
Canada and England , and
in 1912 the name was
changed to the
International
Association of Rotary
clubs, which became
known as Rotary
International for short.
Mr. Paul P. Harris who
was the first president
of Rotary International
and President Emeritus
ot Rotary International
passed away in July1947.
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