History of Rotary
Rotary members have been addressing challenges around the world for over 110 years.
Rotary links 1.2 million members to form an organization of international scope. It started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas, form meaningful, lifelong friendships, and give back to their communities.
Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of its members.
If you want to know more about Paul Harris, please click here to open our Rotary International website, history page.
The first four Rotarians: Gustavus Loehr, Sylvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey and Paul Harris.
Picture was taken between 1905-1912 in Chicago
Learn more about the first four Rotarians and the Founding Years
The first six Presidents of Rotary International at hte 1939 Rotary convention in Cleveland, OH, USA.
Font row: Paul P. Harris, Glenn C. Mead.
Back row: Russsell F. Greiner, Frank L. Mulholland, Allen D. Albert, and Arch C. Klumph.
Rotarians at the 1911 convention embrace an early version of our primary motto, Service Above Self. They also adopt an early version of our secondary motto, One Profits Most Who Serves Best. Two slogans were formally approved as official mottoes in 1950: He Profits Most Who Serves Best and Service Above Self.
Our ongoing commitment
Rotary members have not only been present for major events in history — we’ve also been a part of them. Three key traits have remained strong throughout our history:
- We’re truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Today, members in nearly every country work to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems.
- We persevere in tough times. During World War II, Rotary clubs in Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain were forced to disband. Despite the risks, many continued to meet informally, and after the war, Rotary members came together to rebuild their clubs and their countries.
- We’re committed to service, and we’re not afraid to dream big and set bold goals. We began our fight against polio in 1979 with a project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. Today, polio remains endemic in only three countries — down from 125 in 1988.
Rotary will continue to grow and help others around the world.
