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It was on February the 23rd, 1905, that Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer organized the first Rotary Club. With three friends, one a coal dealer, one a mining engineer, and the third a merchant tailor, these men conceived of the unique idea of organizing a club through the selection of only one man from each line of business or profession; and Rotary was given as the name of this organization as the meetings were to be held at the places of business of the different members. Its purpose, these men said, was to promote friendship and understanding, knowledge and broad mindedness and interest in the other fellow. Three years later one of the members of this first club told the story to a group of San Francisco men and the second club was organized. Other clubs were formed on the Pacific coast; the movement spread to the East; and then to the South. It was in 1910 that the first Convention of the National Association of these clubs was held, in Chicago, and Paul Harris was elected to the Presidency. Three years later Rotary came to Indiana; Indianapolis and then Terre Haute and Evansville organized clubs. The latter part of that year E. J. Krous of the Lafayette Ice Cream Company corresponded with the International office relative to the possibility of Lafayette organizing a similar club. However nothing came of this first interest, though during the next two years clubs were formed at South Bend, Vincennes, Fort Wayne and New Albany. With seven clubs in the State the movement attracted the attention of Dr. A. C. Arnett who made inquiries of Herbert C. Angster, Governor of the 8th District. Literature was sent to him from the International office, and before the month of December had passed Doctor Arnett forwarded a list of seven names as an Organizing Committee to the Rotary Office. Further interest was evidenced, however, before the actual organization of a Club. In February Charles Radersdorf visited the Indianapolis Club as a guest, and was so impressed with the aims, purposes and spirit of this Club that he discussed his impressions with James Farrington and Frank Timberlake of Lafayette. Letters followed from these two men and from Karl Bachman to Governor Angster and to the International Office with the result that Governor Angster came to Lafayette and met with the following men on April 24th at the Lahr Hotel: Dr. A. C. Arnett, Karl R. Bachman, Frank M. Best, Lewis M. Ellis, James C. Farrington, Thomas F. Moran, Christian G. Stocker and Frank Timberlake. At this council it was decided to form the Lafayette Rotary Club, with the first meeting to be held on May the first, 1916, in the Blue Room of the Lahr Hotel. This meeting was held as planned; officers and directors were elected, and Lafayette Rotary began to live. The membership of the Club was made up of the fourteen men whose names are listed on the following page; and on subsequent pages is the story of the first seventy-five years. |
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