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From Friendship to “Service Above Self”
As the club grew, its founders soon realized that friendship among members was not enough—they also wanted to make a meaningful difference in the community around them.
Before long, Rotary carried out what is recognized as its first community service project: helping build Chicago’s first public comfort station, a public restroom for the city.
This simple yet impactful initiative marked the beginning of Rotary’s enduring philosophy—one that continues to guide Rotarians around the world today:
Service Above Self
A belief that lasting change begins when people come together not only in friendship, but also in service to others.
A Global Movement That Began in a Small Room: The Story of Rotary
It all began on a cold February evening in 1905, in a small office building in Chicago.
A young attorney named Paul Harris dreamed of recreating, in a growing city, the sense of friendship, trust, and community he had known in the small town where he grew up.
With that vision, he brought together three friends from different professions—a coal merchant, a mining engineer, and a tailor—and founded a club based on friendship, professional connection, and service.
The members of this club met weekly, rotating from one office to another.
This practice of gathering in rotation gave the organization the name by which it is known around the world today:
Rotary.
What began as a small gathering of friends in one room has grown into a global network of people united by service, fellowship, and the desire to create lasting positive change in their communities and beyond.
A Humanitarian Movement Beyond Borders
By the 1910s, Rotary had become far more than an American organization.
It first expanded into Canada and the United Kingdom, and soon grew into an international network of friendship and service reaching across every continent.
Even during the darkest years of the Second World War, Rotarians continued to gather—sometimes quietly, sometimes under difficult circumstances—to support communities, serve humanity, and keep the spirit of peace alive.
Rotary’s commitment to peace and international understanding became so influential that many Rotarian leaders played an active role in the founding of the United Nations and in the development of its charter.
What began as a small club in Chicago had become a worldwide humanitarian movement—crossing borders, cultures, and generations in the service of peace, goodwill, and lasting change.
Today: A Global Network Creating Change
In 1985, Rotary launched one of the largest public health initiatives in human history: PolioPlus.
Working hand in hand with global partners such as the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotarians have helped reduce polio worldwide by 99.9%, bringing the world closer than ever to eradicating the disease forever.
Today, Rotary continues its work through a global network of more than 46,000 clubs, nearly 1.4 million members, and a presence in over 200 countries and geographical areas.
From clean water to education, from maternal and child health to environmental protection, Rotary creates sustainable impact through its seven areas of focus, improving lives and strengthening communities across the world.
We are where local ideas become global impact.
We are Rotary.
