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Paul Harris Fellows
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John Hudson |
Peter Bartram |
Paul P Harris,
a lawyer, was the founder of Rotary
International, the world's first and most
international service club.
Born in Racine Wisconsin, USA on 19 April 1968, Paul
was the second of six children to George N. Harris and Cornelia Bryan Harris.
At age 3 he moved to Wallingford, Vermont where he grew up in the care of his
paternal grandparents. Married to Jean Thompson Harris (1881 - 1963), they had
no children. He received an LLB. from the University of Iowa and received an
honorary LLD. from the University of Vermont.
Paul Harris worked as a newspaper reporter, a
business teacher, stock company actor, cowboy, 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 Paul visited the suburban home of a professional
friend. After dinner, as they strolled through the neighborhood, Paul's friend
introduced him to various tradesmen in their stores. It was here Paul
conceived the idea of a club that could recapture some of the friendly spirit
among businessmen in small communities.
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 in rotation at their
various places of business. Club membership grew rapidly. Soon Paul became
convinced that the Rotary club could be developed into an important service
movement and strove to extend Rotary to other cities.
Paul was also prominent in other civic and
professional work. He served as the first chairman of the board of the
national Easter Seal Society of Crippled Children and Adults in the U.S.A. and
of the International Society for Crippled Children. He was a member of the
board of managers of the Chicago Bar Association and its representative at the
International Congress of Law at the Hague, and a committee member of the
American Bar Association. He received the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy
Scouts of America for distinguished service to youth, and was decorated by the
governments of Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France and Peru.
Paul maintained his law office for most of his life.
He spent much time traveling and was invited to speak to Rotarians at annual
conventions, district and regional meetings, and other functions. When
President emeritus Paul Harris passed away on 27 January 1947, his dream had
grown from an informal meeting of four men to some 6,000 clubs. In the past
five decades, the organization has grown to more than 27,500 clubs with 1.2
million members brought together through Paul Harris' vision of service and
fellowship.
The above article was excerpted from the official
Rotary biography of Paul P. Harris as printed in the Rotary Publication for
public distribution, "Honoring a Legacy of Service". It is reprinted
here by permission.
A Paul Harris Fellow is someone who contributes or in
whose name is contributed, US $1000.00. They do not have to be a Rotarian.
This is one of the most meaningful ways an individual can be honored in the
world of Rotary.
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