Rotary International
History
Rotary 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 and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and around the world.
Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.
Paul Harris
Rotary founder
Ongoing Commitment
That commitment endures today in an organization that remains truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Our members now span the globe, working to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems.
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 two countries - down from 125 in 1988.
Timeline
Rotary has been creating connections and making an impact for more than a century.
Our 1.4 million members join community leaders, friends, and partners in a global network that is addressing challenges around the world. It started with the vision of one man—Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago in 1905 to exchange ideas and form meaningful friendships. He saw Rotary as a force for ethical leadership, civic service, and peace—ideals he would promote throughout his life.
1905: Rotary begins
Attorney Paul P. Harris convenes the first Rotary meeting on 23 February in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Harris envisions a professional club that brings together local men from a variety of vocations. On 23 February 1905, Paul Percival Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram E. Shorey gathered in Loehr's office for what would become known as the first Rotary Club meeting.
The first four Rotarians: Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey, and Paul P. Harris.
1907: Early service project
The Rotary Club of Chicago meets with civic organizations to discuss the need for comfort stations (public toilets) to improve sanitation in the city.
Program for the meeting to discuss public toilets, October 1907.
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1908: Rotary's second city
San Francisco, California, USA, becomes the second city to have a Rotary club in November.
An early Rotary Club of San Francisco emblem, circa 1911.
1910: Clubs form an association
Members representing 16 Rotary clubs gather at the first Rotary Convention, in Chicago in 1910. They create the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America, adopt a constitution and bylaws for the organization, and elect a board of directors. As association members, Rotary clubs remain autonomous but share core values.
Notice for a convention to establish an association of Rotary clubs, May 1910.
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1911: The Rotarian magazine
Rotary published the first issue of The Rotarians magazine in January 1911, to deliver standard messages to all clubs and share news from clubs and members. The magazine's name changed to Rotary in 2020.
The Rotarian magazine was originally called The National Rotarian. The first issue included an essay written by Paul Harris and club news items.
1911: Our Motto
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.
A name badge from the 1928 Rotary convention features both mottoes
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We believe in the power of community and the positive impact that we can make when we work together towards a common goal.