Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvestor Schiele, and Hiram Shorey decided to call their club “Rotary”, because their meeting locations would “rotate.”
The name Rotary International was officially adopted in 1922, as they encountered fellow professionals around the world who also craved friendly smiles and humanitarian values.
We designate February 23rd as “World Understanding and Peace Day”, marking the foundation of one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world.
You can learn more about Rotary’s History in MyRotary’s History section or at the Rotary Global History Fellowship website.