"Delegates from North, South, East and West, delegates from all parts of the United States: We have been called here to organize a national association of Rotary Clubs, and we have a great deal of business to transact." The first statement made to The National Association of Rotary Clubs of America

How Rotary started, in the words of Paul Harris, Founder of Rotary, recorded on 20 December 1945

In the video on your right, Paul Harris greets a Rotarian friend from Australia. This is from the 1935 Convention in Mexico City. More about Paul Harris at www.rotaryfirst100.org/presidents/1910harris/

 

Newsletter Nuggets

Quick Quotes

Below is a completed list of articles, books, speeches, and artifacts of Rotary International Founder Paul P. Harris. We believe this is the most complete collection anywhere in the Rotary world (accessible on the internet)

• Links to other writings
  • Messages & Addresses to RI Conventions 1910-1946 (every message Harris every wrote and/or delivered)
  • '47 Convention tributes
  • Other Harris Speeches
  • Articles in The Rotarian Magazine
    • Every article Harris' wrote!
  • www.whatpaulharrissaid.org RGHF's long running "Rotary Minute"
• Paul Harris Signatures
  • Autographs
  • Checks
  • Documents
  • Letters
  • This Rotarian Age
  • Letters
• Travels
  • Europe 1928
  • Europe 1932
  • South Africa 1934
  • Peregrinations (Asia, Pacific, and South America)
    • Same story, 70 years later
  • www.friendshiptrees.org the record of Harris' travels
• Meet Paul Harris Questions we wish we could ask
• RGHF feature www.whatpaulharrissaid.org

Return to Rotary Global History Library

Also see the 2012 RGHF Institute, Denver, for photos of Paul's parents' graves.

The principal historian responsible for this section was RGHF Ambassador and Senior Historian Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler, Bavaria. The webmaster is Mike Raulin, USA