Rotary would not be in existence today if not for the vision of one man, Paul Harris, born April 19, 1868, he died on January 27, 1947. Paul was born in Wisconsin, grew up in Vermont, attended the University of Vermont, Princeton University and the University of Iowa where he received his law degree. He ultimately settled in Chicago where he opened his law practice. During a walk along the streets of Chicago's North Side with a fellow attorney, Paul was very impressed by the comaraderie among businessmen and wanted to find a way to channel it. He had a vision and on February 23, 1905 Paul met with three business associates to discuss forming a networking organization for local professionals. This became known as the first Rotary meeting. To learn more about the history of Rotary and it's evolution, seach rotary.org/history. You'll find Rotary's very first service project very interesting! Thank you Paul Harris! (Graphic credit Debbie Vance, Graphic Designer)
