Page 16 - Gears and Ears March 2014
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From Rotary International
The First Four Rotarians
On 23 February 1905, Paul P. Har-
ris,GustavusLoehr,SilvesterSchiele,
and Hiram E. Shorey gathered in
Loehr’sofficefor whatwouldbecome
known asthefirst Rotary club meet-
ing. Harris’s desirefor camaraderie
amongbusinessassociatesbrought
togetherthesefour menandeventu-
ally ledto aninternational organiza-
tion of service and fellowship.
Read about each of the first four
Rotariansbelow, andaboutHarry L.
Ruggles,whoisoften calledthe"fifth
Rotarian."
Rotary’s founder, Harris, wasbornin Wisconsin, USA, on19April 1868.Hewasraisedby hispaternalgrandparentsinVermont
andattendedtheUniversity of Vermont, Princeton,andtheUniversity of Iowa. HewasRotary presidentfrom 1910to 1912and
amemberof theRotary Club of Chicagountil his deathon27January1947.Learn moreaboutthefounder.
Loehr, amining engineer,wasbornon18October1864in Carlinville, Illinois. HewasaRotarianfor only afew years,never
holding officeat theclub orinternationallevel. Butthatfirst Rotarymeetingwasheldin hisoffice, Room711of theUnity Building
in downtown Chicago.Hediedin Chicagoon23May 1918.
ARotarianfor only afewyears,Shoreyservedasrecordingsecretaryduringtheclub’s first year.HewasborninMaineinAugust
1862anddied in March 1944.
Schiele,acoaldealer,servedastheChicagoclub’s first presidentin1905andRotaryInternational’s third treasurerin1945.Born
in Terre Haute,Indiana, in June1870,SchieleattendedTerre HauteBusinessCollege andservedin theU.S.Army during the
Spanish-AmericanWar.Hewaspresidentof theSchieleCoalCompanyfrom 1902until his retirementin 1939.HeandHarris
becamelifelong friends andlived neareachotherontheSouthSideof Chicago.Schielediedon17December1945andisburied
nearHarris atMount HopeCemetery.
Originally from Michigan, Ruggleswasagraduateof NorthwesternUniversity in
Evanston,Illinois, andjoined Rotary atits secondmeeting.Hewastreasurerof the
Chicagoclub during its first year,presidentfrom 1908to 1910,andaRotarydirector
from 1912to 1913.Heis knownfor havingintroducedsinging toRotaryclub meetings.
Hisprinting company,H.L. Ruggles& Co.,printedthefirst issueofTheNationalRotarian
andthefirst Rotary songbook.Hedied on23October 1959,anhonorary memberof
sevenclubsin addition to hishomeclub, theRotary Club of Chicago.
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