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Paul P. Harris (1868-1947), a lawyer by qualification, was he founder of Rotary, the world’s first International service lub. Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide umanitarian service promote high ethical standards, nd help build goodwill and peace in the world. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. on April 19, 1868, Paul was he second of six children to George and Cornelia Harris. At age 3, he oved to Wallingforc Vermont where he grew up in the care of his maternal grandparents. Married to Jean Thomson Harris (1881-1963), they had no children. He was honoured a LL.B. Degree from the University of lowa and received an honorary LL.D from the University of Vermont. Paul Harris worked as a newspaper reporter, a business teacher, cow boy, and traveled extensively in the U. S. A. and Europe selling marble and granite. In 1896, he went to Chicago to practice law. One evening, after dinner, as Paul and his friend strolled through the neighborhood, he was introduced to various tradesmen in their stores. This reminded Paul of his New England village and it occurred to him "Why not have a fellowship composed of businessmen from different occupations, without restrictions of politics or religion ?’’ On 23 February, 1905, Paul Harris formed the first club with three other businessmen; Silvester Schiele, a coal merchant, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor. Paul Harris named the new club “Rotary’’ because members met by rotation at their various places of business. Club membership grew rapidly. Many members were from small towns and in the Rotary Club they found an opporunity for camaraderie. When Paul Harris became President of the Club in its third year, convinced of its role, he strove to extend Rotary to other cities. The second Rotary club was founded in San Francisco in 1908. In 1910, when there were 16 clubs, the National Association of Rotary Clubs was organized. When clubs were formed in Canada and Great Britain in 1912, the name was changed to International Association of Rotary Clubs, and in 1922 shortened to Rotary International. Paul Harris was the first President of both the National Association and the International Association. Paul married Jean Harris & the couple had no child, but they nurtured Rotary as their child. When President Emeritus Paul Harris passed away on 27 January 1947, his dream had grown from an informal meeting of four to some 6,000 clubs brought together through the service and fellowship of Rotary. |
