THE ORIGIN OF ROTARY by Warren Hampton

It was a cold and wintry evening on 23 February, 1905, in Chicago. Four men were meeting at the office of Gustavus E. Loehr, a mining engineer (1), to discuss a better way of conducting business in Chicago. With Gus Loehr were Silvester Schiele, a coal dealer, Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor, and Paul Harris, a lawyer.

Paul Harris had asked for the meeting with his three friends to discuss an idea he had been developing. Raised in New England, he felt somewhat lost and alone in the sprawling city of Chicago. He and his friends knew there was a better way of doing business in the city.

Paul’s idea was that businessmen should get together periodically in the spirit of camaraderie to enjoy each other’s company and to enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances.

Out of their discussion came the idea of a club whose membership would be limited to one representative from each business and profession. Weekly meetings were to be held at each member’s place of business in turn. The rotation of meetings was designed to acquaint the members with one another’s vocations and to promote business. Hence, the name Rotary came into being.

The founding four were of New England German, Swedish, and Irish ancestry representing Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish faiths. All were products of the American melting pot and in that respect they were fitting originators of the international organisation they established.

In later years, Paul Harris was often asked: “When you founded Rotary in Chicago, did you think it would grow into a worldwide movement?”

His best answer to this question may have been the one he gave in his last anniversary message written shortly before his death on 27 January, 1947: “No. I did not, in 1905, foresee a worldwide movement. When a man plants an unpromising sapling in the early springtime, can he be sure that someday here will grow a mighty tree? Does he not have to reckon with the rain and sun – and the smile of Providence? Once he sees the first bud – ah, then he can begin to dream of shade”(2).

At the Rotary International Convention in Boston, USA, in 1933, Paul Harris broadcast a memorable speech by radio to the world (3). This was, of course, some 28 years after that very first Rotary meeting in Chicago and Rotary was, by this time, growing very rapidly throughout the world.

In that speech he said: “Perhaps there are two features of Rotary which, more than any others, challenge the attention of those who are not Rotarians. One is what we call our Classification Plan, by virtue of which membership in Rotary in limited to one representative of each line of trades or professions. The other is the provision that neither racial, political nor religious standards shall constitute barriers to membership.

“Through these two provisions, Rotary is thrown open to representatives from all walks of life, to representatives of all countries, and all forms of religion. Would this seem to open the doors to all manner of discards?

“One might think so.”

“In fact”, he went on, “many have said that human ingenuity could hardly have devised a plan of organisation more fraught with peril. However, therein lies the genius and the glory of Rotary. The formula of procedure in indeed simple. While Rotarians may differ in many respects, in two respects they are in perfect accord.

“First, they believe that all nations are respectable and desire to be honourable in their dealings with other nations, and that it is the privilege of all to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. In other words, Rotary stands for tolerance.

“Second, they believe that all honourable vocations are entitled to recognition if they are used in the service of society.

“With these points of agreement firmly established, disagreement is almost unknown. Rotary emphasises the points of agreement and avoids controversial issues. Rotary thus becomes the common denominator – the sanctuary to which all are welcome. Is there any valid reason why everyone should not enjoy fellowship with all others?”

In conclusion, he said: “Rotary, in the final analysis, is a way of life – a good, natural, wholesome, friendly way of life. The world is full of potential Rotarians who are not Rotarians in fact.

“Many are listening to me now.

“If you have the love of you fellow human beings in your heart, my friends, you are potential Rotarians”

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References: (1) The office of Gustavus E. Loehr was on the 7th floor, The Unity Building, 127 North Dearborn Street, Chicago.
(2) Source: Rotary Basic Library, Volume One: “Focus on Rotary”, p.4; printed by Rotary International, 1600 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A., 1982.
(3) Source: Rotary eClub One, online: Make-Up Programs, “Video – Paul Harris Speaks”, as reproduced for video by Don Kemplen of the Rotary Club of Modesto East, www.modestoeastrotary.org, District 5220.

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