Rotary International History
Paul Harris was born in Racine,
Wisconsin on April 19, 1868. He graduated from the University of Vermont
and later received his LLB degree from the Univeristy of Iowa. In 1896,
Paul Harris opened his law practice in Chicago. Nine year later, on
February 23, 1905, he and three other gentlemen founded Rotary, the
original service club.
The name Rotary was selected
because the meeting place rotated from office to office of the members.
The following year, 1906, a buggy wheel emblem was adopted. The current
emblem with 24 cogs, six spokes, and a keyway, was approved in 1924.
The American West played an important part in the development and growth of Rotary. The second club, San Francisco, was founded in 1908. Oakland was number three, followed by Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City and Boston in 1909. The next year, 1910, the Winnipeg, Canada Club was formed and Rotary became international.