Founder of Rotary

A man of unique ideas, Rotary’s founder Paul P Harris was a small town boy who moved to Chicago to pursue his legal career. He longed to bring to the big city life, the warmth of friendship and camaraderie that is taken for granted in small towns. He was always on the move, to explore and learn more about societies and people. For instance, instead of attaching himself to one congregation, he would attend services in different churches. He was a mischievous child who was expelled from school, went on to study under private tutors and then attended Princeton College. He felt that there must be other young men such as himself from farm towns who have come to make a life in the city, who may be longing for fellowship. The birth of Rotary happened because of this idea.