1900 Paul Percy Harris

“The Rotary Seed is Planted.”

The founder of the organization to be known as Rotary International

was Paul Percy Harris. He was born of humble beginnings on April 9, 1868

in Racine, Wisconsin.

Paul spent most of his childhood with his grandparents in Wallingford,

Vermont and was educated at Vermont Military Academy, The University of

Vermont, and eventually at prestigious Princeton University. He began law school

in 1889 at the University of Iowa in Des Moines, where he earned his law

degree in 1891 and was the keynote speaker of his graduating class. Thus began

one of he most exciting and transforming periods in Paul Harris’s life.

By 1896 Paul was settled in Chicago where he practiced law and was a

member of the Chicago Association of Commerce. He was adversely affected by

the commercial exploitation, social unrest and political corruption that

characterized the business and political melting pot of Chicago in the early

1900’s (and beyond).

In the autumn of 1900 Paul was invited to dinner by attorney Robert

Frank. After the dinner they strolled through Rogers Park, a Chicago

neighborhood, where they stopped and spoke with store and shop owners. The

friendliness and trust of the owners and proprietors differed from the

indifference and, at times, rudeness of the downtown community leaders.

This was the oasis from which came the first seed of Paul's idea for a social and

business organization where strangers could bond together in commerce and

friendship. On that day in 1900, the first seed was planted for the birth of the

organization that would be known as Rotary.

1905 "It All Begins"

Chicago in the early 1900’s was a "maelstrom of commercial exploitation", political corruption and religious fundamentalism, all brought together (according to "A Century of Service—The Story of Rotary International") into one giant melting pot. It was a city of contrasts---conscience versus outright corruption. By 1905, Paul Harris had developed his Chicago law practice. It provided him with a steady stream of clients and he occupied space in the same building as attorney Clarence Darrow. The most significant date in the history of Rotary has to be February 23, 1905, acknowledged as the birth of modern day volunteer-ism. That morning, the Chicago newspapers led with headlines announcing the Chicago Carpenters and Bricklayers were threatening to strike unless their members were granted a half day off on Saturdays. That night Paul Harris and friend Silvester Schiele, a coal dealer, met for dinner at Madame Galli’s in Chicago. After dinner, they retired to the seventh floor in the Unity Building at 127 Dearborn Street where they discussed the idea of forming a club---a fellowship and business booster organization. At the meeting in the Unity Building were Hiram E. Shorey, a merchant tailor, and Gustavus H. Loehr, a mining engineer. Paul shared with the other three men his feeling of emptiness as he felt he had no true friends in the city, only multiple acquaintances. He wanted friends he could trust in both personal and commercial dealings. Together the four proposed forming a club---different from any other---one described as ‘’a very simple plan of mutual cooperation and informal friendships,’’ with each member invited from a different profession or line of business. It was at first limited to that one representative per profession. They would work together inspired by their professions. Paul would buy his suits from Hiram. Hiram, in turn, would purchase coal from Silvester; Gus would use Paul for his legal work and so on. They pledged to bring potential new members to the next meeting. The organization they were forming that night in 1905 would differ from all others and would in many ways serve as a model for future Rotary clubs.

1905 "The Naming Of Rotary"

The third meeting of the newly formed club – soon to be named the Rotary Club – was held in Chicago at Charter Member Silvester Schiel’s coal-yard office with 15 members attending. It was clear that first on the agenda was naming the new club. Some members felt that the name should reflect a feeling of community. The first names proposed for the fledgling organization were: the "Windy City Roundup", "Chicago Fellowship Club", "The Lake Club", or simply "The Chicago Civic Club." The name "The Trade and Talk Club" also was suggested. Although the suggestions for a name were bountiful, none seemed appropriate. When two in the group made proposals for the “Blue Boys” and “The Conspirators”, Paul Harris felt he should take control of the process. He brought a new name to the table. Since the charter members of the club had agreed to rotate meetings between member’s places of business with the leadership of each meeting also rotating, why not name the club – “The Rotation Club”. The members of the group thought the name too clumsy so Paul submitted a final choice, “The Rotary Club." Dues were set at 0 cents allowing for club expenses to be paid from those 50-cent fines imposed on members who missed meetings or for other offenses. Members would have to re-qualify for membership each year by gaining a two-thirds vote of the club. The newly-named Rotary Club chose Paul Harris as their first president, although he declined and Silvester Schiele took on the position of Rotary’s first official leader. Thus The Rotary Club and, thankfully, not "The Conspirators Club"was off and running.

1908 The Expansion Of Rotary

Paul Harris could see by 1908 that the Rotary Club model was working well in Chicago. Membership was growing, a constitution and set of by-laws were in place, a successfully designed emblem was chosen for the club (initially a wagon wheel) and Rotary’s first community project was planned (a street side men’s public restroom). Harris began to think that the Rotary model could work in other cities. Why not replicate Rotary in other communities? When Paul originally proposed the idea of expansion to members of the Chicago club there was much opposition. Many of the members could not see the benefits or gain of devoting the required time and resources to starting a club in New York or perhaps Jacksonville. He understood their position but still dreamed of expansion. It was in June of 1908 when a friend of Paul’s, Manuel Muñoz, was sent on a business trip to San Francisco and before he left was approached by Paul with almost an offhand suggestion – "perhaps you could start a Rotary Club out there." This almost offhand suggestion changed forever the shape of the Rotary movement. The Rotary club of San Francisco began at a banquet held November 12th, 1908 at the St. Francis Hotel. Shortly after that, the Tri-City Rotary Club was founded in Oakland. Thus by 1909 there were Rotary Clubs in Chicago, San Francisco, and Oakland with many more to come. In August of 1910 the first national convention was held.

1910 The 1910 Rotary National Convention

Those who attended the 1910 National Rotary Convention never forgot the experience. The convention was held in Chicago with the members of the Chicago club serving as hosts. Sixty Rotarians registered with an equal number of guests. Every club but two (and there were now 16 clubs nationally with 1,800 members) was allowed one delegate for each 50 members in their organization. Paul Harris called the meeting to order in the Congress Hotel and they elected the convention officers. Harris announced, "Rotary is already a wonderful force, and no one can attempt to foretell its future growth. You have important work to do in establishing the fundamental laws for this organization." Subjects discussed at the convention included:

• Social activities • Membership qualifications and growth • Dues • Business reciprocity between members • An emblem for the club • Population of cities eligible for a viable Rotary Club • The number of clubs a city could support

After the business meetings members went to dinner or swam at Wilson Avenue Beach. The next afternoon they attended a baseball game played between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Highlanders (to be the New York Yankees in 1913) at the new Comiskey Park. They toured downtown Chicago and ate at the famous Bismarck Beer Garden. At the closing banquet, Chicago Rotarian Arthur Frederick Sheldon addressed the crowd and made a statement that resonated with the membership, "Man comes to see that the science of business is the science of service. He comes to see that he profits most when he serves his fellows best." In the end, delegates adopted a constitution and bylaws and formed the foundation that was then the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America.

1906-1951 The Objects That Rotary Upholds

The original objects of the Rotary Association were:

1. The promotion of business interests of its members.2. The promotion of good fellowship and other desiderata ordinarily incidental to

social clubs. Later in that year and because the club was founded in Chicago they added:3. The advancement of the best interests of Chicago and the spreading of the spirit of

civic pride and loyalty among its citizens.

In 1910 the delegates to the first national association of Rotary Clubs Convention set the following objectives for the fledgling organization:

1. To organize new clubs.2. To promote the common good of all clubs.3. To encourage civic pride and loyalty.4. To promote honorable business methods.5. To advance the business interests of those individual members.By 1915 interest in service to community began to take root and delegates to the San Francisco Convention amplified the fifth Object and added a sixth:

Over the years Rotary has repeatedly tweaked its definition of itself with the last significant change coming in 1951 with one single Object adopted:

To encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise. With that noble aim firmly planted, the credo with four accompanying clauses set the stage for Rotary’s declaration of service.

5.1. To quicken the interest of each member in the public welfare of his community and to cooperate with others in civic, social, commercial and industrial development. 6. To stimulate the desire of each member to be of service to his fellow man and society in general.

1910-1947 Paul Harris’s Legacy

Paul Percy Harris instituted an important Rotary tradition during his term

as the first president of the Rotary National Association. In 1911 Paul asked

Chesley Perry, the first general secretary of Rotary (National), to copy and mail

a 6,000 word Paul Harris essay – to all 2,000 Rotarians in the 23 clubs

nationwide. After discussions, Harris and Perry decided to produce the essay in a

pamphlet which they paid for by including advertising. The first issue of The

National Rotarian pamphlet was mailed in January of 1911. Thus Paul Harris laid

the groundwork for the present-day "The Rotarian" magazine.

Paul Harris also was instrumental in designing the first Rotary emblem,

initially a simple wagon wheel which eventually evolved into today’s Rotary pin.

Thus Paul added two of our club’s traditions to his Rotary resume – and what a

resume it is. As the father of Rotary, Paul Harris believed in the Rotary model. He

brought together men, and later women, from various professions under one

roof and helped establish an organization that believed in service to its

fellow men in community – both nationally and internationally. The "Paul

Harris Fellow" title is given to members who contribute $1,000 or more to the

Rotary Foundation. In the beginning, Paul Harris was merely a lonely Chicago

lawyer with an idea to build a club to satisfy a need that seemed to be lacking

in Chicago for honest fellowship, more sincere business relations, and service to

community. The father of Rotary, Paul Harris, helped fill that need and now

Rotary has spread throughout the world. Paul Percy Harris died on January 27,

1947 in Chicago; he was 78 years old.

1912 Rotary Goes International

In November of 1910, just three months after the National Association of Rotary Club’s formation and convention, Arthur Frederick Sheldon, a Chicago Rotarian, shared startling news with Ches Perry, general secretary of Rotary National. Sheldon had recently learned that a Mr. McIntyre, a former Chicago resident who knew about Rotary, had become a member of a Rotary club in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Perry questioned how this could be. There was no Rotary Club in Winnipeg. At that point Sheldon told Perry that after moving to Winnipeg from Chicago he had in fact, joined the new Canadian club, a club complete with 30 new members. No one in the U.S. was ever consulted about the formation of the new club a n d given the opportunity to join the National organization, the Winnipeg group was initially hesitant. However, the Winnipeg club applied for that affiliation with Rotary in February of 1912 and was admitted on March 1st. Winnipeg Rotarian C.E. Fletcher attended the 1912 Rotary Convention in Duluth, Minnesota as a delegate. The delegates at the convention moved by decree that the name of the National Association of Rotary Clubs be changed to the International Association of Rotary. After only seven years, Rotary was now both a North American and an international club.

1911-1912 Rotary – The International Club

At the 1911 Chicago Rotary Convention, Paul Harris confided to the Portland convention delegates, "I have thought this Rotary idea so great it might be permitted to extend beyond the confines of this country. Without authority of the Board of Directors, I have taken up the matter of a club, also (clubs) in Paris, Glasgow, Melbourne, and Sydney." In 1911 Harris wrote to Boston Rotarian Harvey Wheeler, who made frequent trips to London, that he should help form a club there. The two men met in the British capital, arranged a dinner meeting with associates, with the result being the formation of The Rotary Club of London in August of 1911. While this was a Paul Harris victory in the expansion plans of Rotary, it appears Stuart Morrow beat him to the punch in providing the first foothold Europe. Stuart Morrow approached business and professional leaders in Dublin with the idea of starting a club there. His efforts were successful and the first meeting of the Rotary Club of Dublin was held on the 22nd of February, of 1911, more than five months before the London club and a full year before the admission of the Winnipeg club. Following were the establishment of clubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Liverpool. A club was also formed in Birmingham, England in 1913 – Coincidentally, the same year, another club would be formed in the city of Birmingham, some 4,200 miles from its English namesake, the city of Birmingham, Alabama.

1913 Rotary Comes to Birmingham

While visiting his brother in Denver, Birmingham architect, Harry B.

Wheelock, learned of a new movement among men of good

will. It was called "Rotary." It originated in Chicago and was spreading

throughout the U.S.

Wheelock had been encouraged to start a club in Birmingham by friends

but a letter sent in the year 1912 – from Rotary’s founding father, Paul

Harris, may have been the trigger. Harris wrote,

"The advices to the effect that you will undertake to organize a Rotary Club in your city are very pleasing to me and I intend to make it my business to assist you in every way I can. You will find it a comparatively easy matter to establish a club in your city. As a matter of fact, the situation ordinarily resolves itself into a sort of an endless chain. While your personal acquaintances might be insufficient in number to comprise a sufficiently comprehensive organization, the personal acquaintances of your personal acquaintances — etc. and ad infinitum would ultimately include the entire city."

It was January of 1913 when Harry Wheelock called a meeting of six or seven of his friends at the old Turn-Verein Hall to discuss the possibility of starting a new Rotary Club in Birmingham. Those present at the meeting carefully compiled lists of businesses and professional men "...whose lives and purposes and personal philosophies were regarded as having already made them Rotarians in all but the new name." The organization date for Birmingham’s new Rotary Club was February 6th, 1913. The new officers for the club in 1913 were: president – Harry B. Wheelock, vice-president – John E. Shelby, secretary – Bromfield Ridley, treasurer – J.W. Donnelly, and sergeant-at-arms – Robert I. Ingalls. The Rotary Club of Birmingham was now off and running.

1913 Rotary Expands To Atlanta

As soon as the Birmingham Rotary Club became affiliated with the National Rotary organization it was assigned the Rotary Club Number 56. Almost immediately the Birmingham club began a movement to promote Rotary in other cities – a promotion that can be only described as religious fervor. In August of 1913 a virtual safari of Birmingham Rotarians made the trek together by train to Atlanta, Georgia. The group’s purpose was clear; they wanted to start a new Rotary club in Atlanta.

Among those in the Birmingham group were: Joe Rosenberger, John Shelby, B.B. Burtin, Fred Wheelock, and first president Harry Wheelock. After arriving in Atlanta they met with members of the Atlanta Ad Club and spoke to them on the virtues of Rotary. Shortly after their visit, the Atlanta Rotary Club was founded from the nucleus provided by the Ad Club. It was then, after becoming affiliated with National, that the Atlanta Rotary Club was given Rotary Club Number 79.

Seldom, if ever, has the Atlanta club hierarchy given the Birmingham club any credit for their formation. They claimed (and still claim) an epiphany on the part of Atlanta resident, Ivan Allen, Sr., after he had visited the Baltimore Rotary Club. According to them it was his idea to start a Rotary Club in Atlanta. Of course the Birmingham club makes the stand that it was instrumental in initiating the idea. After all, would a group of 80 adult men travel to Atlanta for such a visit with no purpose in mind decades before the Atlanta Gold Club opened? Although the argument appears to be moot, at least with the Atlanta group, it is clear that, at the very least, Rotarians from Birmingham helped along the process. They reinforced the idea that it would be appropriate to start a club in Atlanta.

Rotarian historians will all agree that the Birmingham club had a purpose for its visit in August of 1913. It's members weren’t over there just to shop or see the sights – they wanted a Rotary Club for Atlanta and that happened, as it did in other cities, where they promoted Rotary including: Montgomery, Nashville, Memphis, Savannah, Macon, Tampa, and Mobile. Those Atlanta Rotarians may continue to claim that they were there when the Rotary idea light bulb came on, but in Birmingham, it is well known who flipped the switch.

1911-1926 Rotary Tradition – The Rotary Wheel –

The Rotary Gearwheel Ches Perry, secretary of the National Association of Rotary Clubs, suggested to delegates at the 1911 Portland convention that they should adopt a standard emblem based around the image of a wheel which he said, "has become the generally adopted emblem of many Rotary Clubs." The Rotary Club of Chicago first used the wagon wheel idea, and attributed it to Paul Harris. The appearance of the wheel changed from time to time for the Chicago club. Chicago Rotary member Montaque M. Bear, an engineer, offered to design a permanent emblem (again based on the wheel design) for the Chicago club. The club adopted his design of a wheel with clouds of dust both ahead of and behind the wheel. Bear placed the words “Rotary Club” above the wheel. The club used this design for a time until one observant member pointed out that a gearwheel in motion would not generate clouds of dust in front of it. Montaque Bear removed the clouds and added a banner to the design. The banner read “Rotary Clubs”. By the 1912 National convention, the organization had copied the emblem design of The Rotary Club of Philadelphia. However, shortly after, Philadelphia engraver George Fry and a jeweler, Jack Berlet, argued that none of the wagon wheel designs of other clubs really conveyed the “true” Rotary idea, submitting that by adding cogs to the wheel a working wheel would be created symbolizing members who worked together, literally interlocked with one another to achieve the organization’s objective. At that point a banner was added which stated, "Trade Follows the Flag." From there a Rotary pin evolved. Eventually the “Trade Follows The Flag” banner was dropped and the wording “Rotary International” took its place. Clubs continued to use different versions of the wheel and even the National publications used different designs. Finally and mercifully in 1928-1929 the present design began to be used collectively by ALL Rotary Clubs.

1913-1914 William Thornton "Speedy" Estes

Future Birmingham Rotary President William Thornton Estes was born in 1885 in Talbotton, Georgia. He was one of eight children of George Hensen and Anna Thornton Estes. George Estes, Thornton’s father, moved his family from Talbotton to Birmingham in the late 1890’s to join an insurance firm. Three of his sons, Charles, Claude, and Tom were charter members of Redstone Club, founded in 1908. Thornton Estes started his business career as a runner for Birmingham Trust & Savings Company. However, Estes' main career was in the lumber business where he served as president of the Estes Lumber Company. The company in 1916 was located at Estes Station on the North Birmingham street-car line and had an Ensley location as well. The company sold long leaf yellow pine and used an advertising slogan, "Estes Long Leaf Lasts Longer." Estes' brother Charles, and later his son, William Thornton Estes, Jr., worked with him. Brother Tom Estes & Thornton were partners in a real estate development business, developing homes on Somerset Circle in Redmont. Three homes were built and were titled after significant figures of the Queen Elizabeth Reign. Thornton Estes joined the Rotary Club in the 1913 and was chosen president in 1926 – 1927. It was said that during his year as Rotary President, "The club membership was welded into still closer bonds of good fellowship." It was also said that Thornton Estes was given the nickname "Speedy" early on by being the fastest runner at the Y.M.C.A. Thornton "Speedy" Estes, a memorable member of Rotary, died in 1979.

1913 – 1915 The First Birmingham Rotary Club Luncheons

The first weekly meetings of the Rotary Club of Birmingham were held at the Gold Lion Restaurant. Little is known of the early Birmingham eatery today, but it was reported that a lunch there in 1914 cost fifty cents. Later the club went on to meet at Miss Mary Beard’s Kitchen where it was said that the food was better than adequate. The meetings in those early days were full of fellowship, but no food fights, singing or arguments were allowed. Research shows that the meetings were held more or less in the open, no exclusive back room for Rotary members; that is, there were other "luncheoners" at the Gold Lion and they on occasion complained that the "lusty vocalizings from Rotary members disturbed them." At these early meetings the programs were almost "entirely devoted to talks by various members on the subject of their own businesses or professions." From time to time the club members made excursions to those businesses. This represented the old Paul Harris philosophy that Rotarians should know each other better and the club should continue to push for new prospective members that were employed in varied occupations. On occasion the club as a body would hold meetings at a plant, store, or other place of business where a Rotary member was employed. These were good times for Rotary and all enjoyed the fellowship.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America The Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Club of Birmingham have long supported The

Boys’ Club of America, now called the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization made up of local chapters, which provide after-school programs for young people.

The first Boys’ Club was founded in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. By 1906, 53 independent Boys’ clubs formed a national organization – The Federated Boys’ Club. The motto for the Boys’ Club (Boys & Girls Club) is "to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens." Clubs are community-based and building-centered.

The Birmingham chapter of the Boys’ Club was formed in 1901 to address the problems of the youth, specifically those young boys as young as five years old, many of them orphans, who routinely hung out near saloons in order to gain the opportunity to earn money. A group of concerned women decided to form an organization to address the problem. That was done at a 1901 Christmas dinner given for the boys by local Judge William R. Houghton, together with Judge N.B. Feagin and by Colonel Rufus Rhodes, publisher of the Birmingham News, where the new organization was officially formed.

The club was first located in two rooms of the old Birmingham City Hall where recreational activities were offered to young boys. The facility was later expanded to include a dorm, employee bureau, playground, summer camp, and a big brother program for orphans.

Notable members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America now include: Denzel Washington, General Wesley Clark, Jennifer Lopez, Sugar Ray Leonard, and the lead singer of the Miracles, Smokey Robinson.

1915 Rotary Steps In To Help The Boy’s Club

The Boys Club of Central Alabama was founded in 1901. By 1905, John Melpolder took the reins as Director of the Boys’ Club. In 1906 delegates from the Birmingham Boys’ Club traveled to Boston to meet with representatives from 51 other clubs to form the Federation of Boys’ Clubs. Our Rotary Club’s involvement with the Boys’ Club likely began at a meeting held on July 7th, 1915 with the following resolution:

• Be it resolved: that the Birmingham Rotary Club shall make the Boys’ Club of this city its special beneficiary for one year from July 1st, 1915.

• Be it resolved: that, as patron of the Boys’ Club, the Birmingham Rotary Club shall assist in the annual Tag Day Benefit to meet the expense of the maintenance of the Boys’ Club and in other ways cooperate with those who are officially entrusted with the management of the club.

• Be it resolved: that the Rotary Club shall give an annual Boys’ Club Luncheon with each member inviting one or more boys to said luncheon. It will be called "Boys Club Day."

• Be it resolved: that a standing committee be appointed whose duty it should be to assume charge of all activities of the Rotary Club as it relates to the Boys’ Club.

In these resolutions, Rotary entered upon the responsibility of patron of the Boys’ Club without assuming any authority or administrative control or any obligations for the Boys’ Club financial maintenance or official conduct.

Indeed, the luncheon on December 8th, 1915 served as the first "Boys Club Day" at Rotary. After the event several members offered their commendation for the event – "Greatest event in the history of our club", "Let’s make "Boys’ Day" a quarterly affair", "The men enjoyed it more than the boys did – if that’s possible."

Rotary Club has continued to support The Boys’ Club – now the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Alabama.

1915 Notice in the Rotary Gram in August of 1915

After the last meeting of the Rotary Club held at the Tutwiler Hotel, the following "Expense Account" and ledger was plucked from the floor of the dining room. It would appear that one of our members dropped the document. So to help identify the owner we offer a recount of the notes and expenses:

March 4th Advertising cost for new girl to do my typing – 1 dollar and 20 cents March 9th Violets for the new lady typist – 50 cents March 11th Week’s salary for the new typist – 10 dollars March 16th Roses for the new typist – 3 dollars March 20th Immediate upgrade of salary for new typist – 15 dollars March 20th Candy for the wife – 15 cents March 26th Lunch for the new typist – 2 dollars March 27th Lunch with the new typist – 4 dollars March 28th Now call new typist—"Daisy" March 28th Theatre and supper with Daisy – 19 dollars March 29th Wife finds theatre ticket stubs March 30th New sealskin dress for wife – 225 dollars March 31st Silk Dress for wife’s mother – 50 dollars April 1st Advertising costs for new male typist – 1 dollar and 50 cents

We would suggest that the Rotarian who dropped the "expense account" document see the secretary in order to avoid the publication of his name.

1916-1930’s The Boys’ Club Is Housed

The original Boys’ Club in our area was located in two rooms in the old Birmingham City Hall Building. The facility was later expanded to include a dorm, employment bureau, playground, and summer camp. In 1916 a notice was sent to Rotary Club members stating that the Boys’ Club had acquired a new home on Avenue F and 29th Street. Rotarians Frank Rushton, J.W. Donnelly and Crawford Johnson were the “power behind the throne” in this fine achievement. A Tag Day date of Saturday, March 4th was chosen to raise funds for the rent to own costs for the Boys’ Club Building. The amount of funding required was initially beyond the amount of money available in the Boys’ Club budget and the deficit was to be made up from proceeds from the Tag Day Rotary donations. It appears that funding could only be available to rent – not rent to buy. The outcome was that the Boys’ Club moved into the facility on South 29th Street far removed from the business center of Birmingham but within a radius of 6 blocks of 2nd Avenue and 20th Street where most of the boys lived. From 1916 to 1924 a number of vacant homes were used to house the club including the 29th Street location. It was in 1924 that two prominent Birmingham businessmen challenged the Birmingham Kiwanis Club to help fund a permanent building for the Boys’ Club. In that same year, Harry Horner, the manager of the Birmingham Water Works, leased for 1 dollar a year to the Boys’ Club a 40 acre tract on the Cahaba River for a camp site. The Kiwanis Club was joined in this project with our Rotary Club and the Lions Club in raising funds for the construction of a facility on the property. The camp would be known as "Camp Horner." While the camp site and headquarters facility would be relocated in the ensuing years, the fact remained, in the words of Birmingham resident, Carl Wittichen – wherever the club was located – "The Boys’ Club turned around a lot of lives back then and continues to do so today."

1913 – 2013 – 100 years Much Can Happen in One Hundred Years

In the grand scheme of things, 100 years is not a lot of time; but much can happen in a hundred years. Those Rotarians of 1913 could not imagine what was in store for them and those that followed. They could only dream and imagine about what changes, what inventions and events would change the world they then knew and what personalities would come along that would make that world a better or worse place to live. In the ensuing years from 1913:

• There would be the inventions of things that we now could not today imagine to be without – like iced tea, the gas mask, and the Barbie doll. • There would be the formation of the States of Alaska and Hawaii - Dale Earnhardt Sr. would be born, would race and would die in a crash. • The TV remote control would come along, luckily after the invention of the TV. • "Skin Heads" would come on the scene and Albert Einstein would dream up his "Theory of Relativity." • Daylight Savings would change the way we looked at the world and the League of Nations and the UN would attempt to cool the tempers of faraway world leaders. • RCA VICTOR was organized and signed Perry Como in the 40’s and Pyrex glass was invented. • Nathan’s Famous was to make their first hot dog. • Along came birth control pills. • Irving Berlin would write "April Showers." • Col. Jacob Schick would invent the electric razor just prior to "Black Friday" in 1929. • The first crop dusters would take flight and the George Washington Bridge was dedicated. • During those 100 years after 1913, they would first dance the Fox Trot, The Cha-Cha-Cha, and the Shag.

100 years of changes, wars, inventions, progress and setbacks and life and death. Indeed – much can happen in a hundred years.

• The city of Mtn. Brook was incorporated and the first machine to bone and clean kippers was invented. • Salvador Dali painted his "William Tel" series paintings. • Oh yes – There was World War 1, World 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Jonas Salk, and Peter Sellers. • Johnny Cash would sing "A Boy Named Sue" and Art Linkletter would talk to our kids, who said the funniest things. • India and Israel would be formed as well as Alcoholics Anonymous. • Nylon stockings were first worn and penicillin was first used, not necessarily in that order of importance. • "Zip-A Dee-Do Dah" was first sung and Arnold Palmer was born to play golf. − Believe it or not, there were several trips to the moon and there were and are the Dallas Cowboys. • Carnation made its first can of condensed milk and Charles Lindberg’s son was kidnapped and scientists detonated the atomic bomb. • Buffalo Bill died and Smokey the Bear was born. • Vaughn Monroe sang "Racing with the Moon" while Lady gaga sung a duet with Tony Bennett. • Insecticides, The Winter Olympics, and the song – "Stardust" all came on the scene; while Pearl Buck would write "The Good Earth." • Elvis was born – he sang – he ate – and he died and Alabama won at lease 15 national football championships. • And this Rotary CLUB which started with a nucleus of 22 members grew to be the largest Rotary Club in the world.

Crawford Johnson 1873-1942 – "The Coke Rotarian"

Crawford Johnson was born on May 20, 1873 in Danville, Virginia. He was the son of a Baptist minister and his wife and lived his youth mostly in Mississippi. He put together enough funding to buy a franchise from the Chattanooga bottling firm to distribute Coke in Birmingham, Alabama. That new enterprise started with one employee, a fellow by the name – Sam Whitt. The enterprise also had a mule named "Bird" and one foot-powered bottling machine. By the time the 1916 article was placed in the 1916 RotaryGram, only 14 years after startup, the Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Company was at that time the largest bottling company in the world. It was said in the RotaryGram that at that time (1916) "the firm employed six men who did nothing but count the money and take it to the bank." Crawford Johnson helped build the fine company that is today, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United.

This is taken from the Wednesday, November 29, 1916 RotaryGram – an abridged version:

"Every day is Thanksgiving with Crawford Johnson. No matter if eggs are 50 cents a dozen, he has them. His regular table, they say, is canvas – back duck, breast of young turkey, and plank steak. Whenever Fred Shireman desires to add some new delicacies to his menu – the Tutwiler Hotel chef and Crawford have a little chat. We mention these things not only to adorn this little tale but to prove the scintilla of a suspicion that our friend Crawford has a whale of an income. And the dandy, outstanding fact in it all is that Rotarian Johnson did NOT inherit it, nor make it in one fell swoop in stocks, nor did his gold come from some deserted old mine that he picked up for 2 dollars. He earned it honestly in the manufacture and sale of Coca-Cola, a soft drink, delicious and refreshing, that retails for 5 cents a bottle. Just how modestly Crawford began we do not know."

The Lasting Legacy Of Crawford Johnson By 1916, Crawford Johnson Sr. was making quite a name for himself.

He had joined the Birmingham Rotary Club in 1913. By 1916-1917, his Coke bottling operation was said to be the largest in the country – indeed in the world. As a Rotarian, Johnson had been instrumental in helping to acquire the first organized housing for the local Boys’ Club. In 1923 he served as the first president of the Community Chest Board of Directors in Birmingham. (The Community Chest evolved into the present day United Way.)

Perhaps Crawford, Sr. didn’t realize it at that time, but he had started building a positive legacy "right out of the gate" for himself and his future extended family in regard to his company, Rotary and the community. His son, Crawford Johnson Jr., joined Rotary in 1922 and went on to serve this community as president of the Community Chest on the eve of World War Two. He was also Chairman of the War Bonds effort in our city. His son, Crawford Johnson, 3rd joined Rotary in 1951 and served as this club’s president in 1976-1977. There was just no stopping the Johnson family – energizing bunnies they have been – working relentlessly to meet the demands of family, business, Rotary, and community. And those in the extended Crawford Johnson family who worked with their Coke bottling organization helped grow one of our city’s most successful business operations.

In 1913-1914, production at the lone Coke production plant in Birmingham ran approximately 250,000 8 oz. eq. cases with only one product, Coke. By 2012 that figure had jumped to 110 million 8 oz. eq. cases with over 400 products. And during that time the extended family of Crawford Sr. served this club in so many capacities. Along with Crawford Johnson, 3rd, Bill Jones and Kate Nielsen have served this club as presidents. And others in the family have contributed to our organization – Claude Nielsen, Allen Johnson, Dr. Ken Botsford and now a new generation member, Crawford Jones, has joined the ranks of Rotary. For 100 years the family of Crawford Johnson has had a positive impact on our community. We applaud them all for their unselfish dedication to our community and to Rotary. Crawford Johnson, Sr. would be quite proud. – Quite a legacy indeed.

The Rotary Flag In September of 1914, Rotary National Association President Frank Mulholland of Toledo, Ohio, in compliance with the instructions of the 1914 Houston Convention, appointed a committee to design a flag for all Rotary clubs. An acceptable design had been sketched and was used as a starting point. The main portion was to be white in color which is the banner of internationalism and is looked upon as the "Lilly White Banner" of international amity and goodwill. In the center of the flag appears the official emblem of the organization in gold and blue colors and containing the words "Rotary International." The blue stands for constancy of purpose and the gold for the pure standard upon which rotates the wheel of eternal progress. The first time the Rotary flag was flown was at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City on January 4th, 1915. Some interesting sightings of the flag over the years are: • Admiral Richard Byrd flew the Rotary flag over the South Pole in 1929 and the North Pole four years later. • In 1932, Professor Auguste Picard carried the Rotary flag, given to him by the Rotary Club of Zurich, on his record-setting balloon ascent to 55,577 feet. • A year later, the flag headed in the opposite direction when the Rotary Club of Houghton, Michigan carried it 6,254 feet beneath the earth’s surface for a meeting at the bottom of the Quincy Copper Mine. • The first Rotary Club banner flew in outer space when Astronaut Frank Borman, a Rotarian, took it on his orbit around the Moon. The flag flown by Admiral Byrd over the South Pole is now displayed at the Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. Today a giant Rotary flag flies high atop the Headquarters Building. One of the colorful traditions of many Rotary clubs is the exchange of banners or flags. The exchange is a meaningful gesture that serves as a tangible symbol of international fellowship.

1918 – Oscar Wells The Rotarian Oscar Wells played an important part in the development of Birmingham, Alabama. Born in 1875 and orphaned at the age of three, Oscar Wells was raised in Missouri by his uncle and aunt. At his uncle’s death, Wells was forced to discontinue his education at Bethany College in West Virginia and return home to work in the banking business, first as a cashier at the Wells Banking Company. He married Helen Jacobs, a native of Wheeling, West Virginia in 1900. Through dedicated hard work and diligence Wells worked his way through the banking industry, taking on several jobs before being named President of the First National Bank of Birmingham in 1915. Wells served as president of First National Bank until 1930 when he became Chairman of the Board. As president and chairman of the board he involved himself in the affairs of the city. At a time when Birmingham was facing financial ruin in the depth of the Depression, Oscar Wells helped negotiate a loan to the city of $ 1,000,000 to help keep the city operating. He also served on a committee with 15 leading citizens and 10 physicians who helped raise funding to supplement the state Legislature’s appropriation and charge to get the UAB Medical School started. With its roots dating to 1905 as the Birmingham Art Club, the Birmingham Museum of Art was opened in 1951 in the City Hall Building. After a major gift in 1954 from the estate of Mrs. Oscar Wells and a large gift from the Kress Foundation, the Oscar Wells Memorial Exhibit Building was dedicated in 1959. Oscar Wells joined this Rotary Club in 1918 and became president of this club in 1921-1922 while serving as president of the bank. In quick succession Wells was called to perform financial services for and in conjunction with U.S. Government and to assume the presidency of The American Banking Association. At that point, his Rotary leadership had to be put on temporary hold with Vice-President Ed J. Rowe filling in for him. Wells was the architect of The Department of Public Welfare in the “Depression” years and was a financial advisor for the government of Cuba. Oscar Wells remained a public servant, a community leader and a member of Rotary until his death in 1953.

1918 A Rotary Outing

Birmingham Rotarians took a field trip to Fairfield, Alabama in April of 1918. Field trips by Rotarians were frequent in those early years. In the words of one of the trek mates: "It was a bunch of tired but happy Rotarians who came in from Fairfield at five-thirty Wednesday afternoon. They had the time of their lives. (Apparently these guys were not big time travelers) To begin the story – it has to be said that the day of the trip there was beautiful weather – not a cloud in the sky. Brilliant sunshine and warm spring weather was on tap. The fellows gathered at the Tutwiler Hotel where plenty of cars were waiting them. The trip out was made in record time, not even a single puncture marred the ride. At Fairfield they were met by Hill Ferguson and Paschal Shook – both members of our club – their hands were extended in welcome. A dinner consisting of oysters, soup, fish, roast turkey and dressing, sweet breads, salsa, Peach Melba and cheese was served – and we shouldn’t forget the demitasse. (They were serving up good food that day in Fairfield) After dinner they went through the new plant of the T.C.I. facilities where eighty-six ships were almost completed (obviously for the war effort). Everyone was astonished at the progress which had been made. At the new hospital in Fairfield several patients were airing themselves on the sun parlor after serious operations. (At that time, Fairfield was known as "The Model City", which was billed as the most beautiful industrial town in the United States.) The new addition of the Westfield community in Fairfield was looked over and several Rotarians bought lots as an investment. A great time was had by all. The tired bunch of Rotarians returned to town satisfied with their outing that day in 1918."

1916 – 1918 Rotary in Europe During World War One

There’s an old saying – "Things are never as bad as they seem, until they get as bad as they really are." In the years 1916-1918, World War 1 in Europe was as bad as it really was. Europe was embroiled in what was christened "the war to end all wars."

As the ashes of war, begun in 1914, began to replace the flame of hope for peace in Europe, Rotary began to rally its members and committees into patriotic service. During the war, clubs across Britain appointed war service committees, which in turn had subcommittees charged with promoting international trade, encouraging enlistments, providing war relief, addressing unemployment and helping to maintain local industries. In Ireland, the Rotary Club of Belfast formed the Ulster Motor Ambulance Division, which helped produce vehicles (reworked) for wounded soldiers in France.

There were many instances of Rotary’s good work in Europe at that time. Long-time Rotary General Secretary, Ches Perry, remarked – "Let this war go on if it needs be, but let us give thought now to the horrors of war and the blessings of peace. Let Rotary make international peace and goodwill its mission as an international organization."

By 1918, many U.S. military officers, diplomats, and humanitarian agency workers based in France, who in civilian life had been Rotarians, started the Allied Rotary Club in France. Ancil T. Brown from the Indianapolis club became its first president, and such notable Rotarians as General John J. "BlackJack" Pershing, U.S. Ambassador William Sharp and Major James Perkins, Red Cross commissioner for Europe, were regular attendees.

The official Rotary Club of Paris was started after the war, in 1921, and Rotary Clubs in Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Zurich and Praque soon followed. Rotary now had an additional Object for their Creed: "the aim to create peace and goodwill among all people." By April of 1917 the United States had entered the fray and scores of Rotary Clubs across the U.S. began to put their able backs behind the war effort.

Next week: This Club’s Efforts.

1917 The Rotary Club – Doing Our Duty

In 1915, the largest Rotary Club in the world was the Buffalo, New York club with 407 members; however membership numbers in Rotary would soon become irrelevant as the war exploded in Europe. The United States entered the war in April of 1917 and this club’s attention and conversation turned to ways to help in the war effort. An unnamed Rotarian spoke on the entry into war: "Yes, Uncle Sam is warming up and after he goes in, we’ll be building baseball diamonds in the city of Berlin." Local Rotarian W.M. Cosby handled the first Y.M.C.A. War Fund Campaign, and Rotarian J.W. Donnelly handled the campaign for funds for the War Library. George Gordon Crawford helped handle the local Red Cross campaign. These efforts were outside the efforts of the club itself. By November of 1917, the Board of Directors passed a motion to "approve the recommendation from the Entertainment Committee that, out of respect for the National Food Conservation Movement and the devotion of time and money to the innumerable worthy causes occasioned by the War, Ladies Night will not be held. At the same time, motions were passed that ordered all members of Rotary to continue to subscribe to the various humanitarian movements occasioned by the War.”" By the time Uncle Sam was raising money to "Help Whip The Kaiser", our Rotary Club was beginning to participate in the then called National Baby Bond Campaign, a campaign for the sale of two billion dollars of U.S. Bonds. In Alabama, it was a request of every man, women and child in the state to buy 20 dollars worth of these Bonds. Rotarian Crawford Johnson was State Director of this and other appeals. Requests went to members to volunteer for Red Cross work and the Red Cross Campaign: In an appeal to members of this club to get more involved in the war effort, a statement went out to Birmingham Rotarians – "Let me call your attention in this respect to that poster issued by the United States Government, representing Uncle Sam pointing his finger at YOU!" He needs your help. Next Week---More war effort on the part of this club.

1918 – 1919 The War and The Kaiser

During the Spring and Fall of 1918, occasional letters from those on the front lines in Europe were reprinted in local Rotary RotaryGrams. It was a reminder of the terrible conditions which our servicemen (including many Rotarians) had to endure in Europe and beyond. There was a local Rotary effort to sell and buy Thrift Stamps for the War – "When you hear that the Kaiser has blown up some more unarmed vessels, don’t make a street corner speech; just go buy some more Thrift Stamps" – every little effort counts. RotaryGrams were being sent to servicemen in all corners of the conflict. Quoting a serviceman with Rotary connections, "RotaryGrams are the one bright spot in my life. I sure enjoy them." At our meetings during the War we were displaying flags of our allies, promoting Liberty Bonds and collecting funding for various projects supporting our soldiers fighting and serving in the conflict. The Liberty Bond Drive, while not reaching local expectations, was providing results our club could be proud of and displaying to the country our sincere effort to help. Whether in jest or not, in September of 1918, the RotaryGram concluded that the Kaiser (Wilhelm the Second) was dead. However, The Emperor Wilhelm, who first began his reign in Germany and Prussia in 1888 and whom was said by many to be the instigator of the War, had become a figurehead in that country and had by November abdicated and had traveled to the Netherlands into exile. The War was winding down. A plea went out to local Rotarians – under the heading, "When the War Is Over" – "To err is human, to forgive is divine. Yet there is a deadline beyond which divinity becomes folly. The deadline in this case is the Peace Table at the close of the War." Forgiving the Germans was far from popular at this point – prior to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The United States, its servicemen and organizations like Rotary had sacrificed too much. At that point there was no forgiving the Germans. This hard line opinion changed gradually as the years passed – at least prior to Hitler, as the new antagonist came to the forefront. Rotary began to get involved more with community; however, as we know, war was to come again. In the words of Rotarian, Morris Bush, "Peace is a much more complicated proposition than war."

1921 Rotary – “Down Under’’ with Colonels

Ralston and Davidson

As World War One ended, Rotary began to spread throughout the world. The first

club in Asia was in Manila in 1919; but soon there were Rotary Clubs in Shanghai,

Tokyo and, in Africa, and in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In March of 1921, two prominent Canadian Rotarians were asked to

introduce the Rotary model to Australia and New Zealand. The two men,

Colonel J. Layton Ralston of the Halifax club and Colonel "Big Jim" Davidson of

Calgary gave four months of their time for the purpose of establishing Rotary

Clubs in the countries "down under." With a considerable personal financial

contribution, Ralston and Davidson traveled by train to San Francisco and

embarked on a 21 day voyage. They were on a mission to sway Australians

and those in New Zealand to try something "new and fine" – Rotary. By the

time the two Rotarians returned home, they had established Rotary Clubs in the

four largest cities in Australia and New Zealand.

With this "down under" accomplishment, Rotary in 1921 was planted on

six continents. Colonel Ralston eventually got involved in Canadian politics;

while James Wheeler "Big Jim" Davidson, the consummate adventurer, had

become Rotary’s ambassador in other areas of the world and was

affectionately known in Rotary circles as "The Marco Polo of Rotary." Davidson had successfully established a positive reputation at Rotary

International after his successful South Pacific expedition with Ralston. He

served on many international extension committees, and, by 1928, was

appointed as honorary general commissioner with the mandate to add the

missing links to Rotary’s world map, especially in Europe and Asia. This led to new

clubs in Greece, Cairo, The Palestinian Territories, Syria, Iraq, Bangkok and

many more. "Big Jim" Davidson died in 1933 and would be remembered as one of

Rotary’s best ambassadors. It was said that "Big Jim" had traveled nearly 150,000

miles in his quest to establish Rotary Clubs in Europe and Asia. Too bad for "Big

Jim" it was before the airline frequent-flyer programs.

1921 The Southern Club of Birmingham

From the Rotary Club of Birmingham’s inception to 1921, our club met for lunch at the old Tutwiler Hotel. In April of 1921 there was an announcement in the RotaryGram that the Rotary Board had made the decision to move the luncheons to the prestigious Southern Club. From the 1890’s to the late 1920’s the Southern Club played an important role in the social and business life of early Birmingham. Its location in 1916, on the corner of Twentieth Street and Fifth Avenue North, was, at the time, the most prestigious social location in the city. It adjoined the Birmingham Athletic Club and what remained of the 5th to 7th Avenue residential area. In the 1880’s in Birmingham there was a movement to form social clubs for the city’s interested citizens. One of the earliest social men’s clubs was the "Shakespeare Club," an organization comprised of professionals in the city. The club soon changed its name to the "Alabama Club." Even earlier in 1883 eight young men had met on the street in front of the Church of the Advent to discuss the topics of the day. One of those discussions involved starting their own club. The Racquet Club was born out of those discussions and the group began meeting in a building across the street from the Metropolitan Hotel. In 1891, the name of the club was changed to the Komos (Kosmos) (Comus) Club and incorporated as such. The Komos Club was known and acknowledged as the organization with the most elegant balls and dances. Shortly thereafter the Alabama Club and the Komos Club along with other smaller clubs combined to form the Southern Club. In 1896 the Southern Club purchased the old home residence of Charles Linn and converted the rooms into a proper club venue. After a large closing party in 1901 the house was torn down and a new two-story facility, designed by soon-to-be-Rotarian, Harry Wheelock and his father, Charles Wheelock, was built. In 1910 a third story was added and the Southern Club had themselves a magnificent clubhouse complete with a ballroom, a lounge, a billiard room and kitchen. The Southern Club was for many years the center of downtown social events competing only with the Country Club and local hotels. The Birmingham News once stated that more business deals were made at the Southern Club than anywhere else in the city. Many Rotarians were longtime members of the Southern Club including Harry Wheelock. By the late 1920’s membership had fallen off as new venues in the suburbs appeared. In the Fall of 1933, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company saw the need to foreclose on the club’s mortgage and Birmingham’s fine old Southern Club was no more. Most of the records of the club were lost in the process, but not the memories of Birmingham’s finest social club in its day.

Rotary of Birmingham in the 1920s It is indeed unfortunate that this club has retained so little of our history from our early years. This is especially true of the 1920s. While we are missing RotaryGrams, we do know pertinent information from that "lost" decade. The 1920s began under the Rotary leadership of Percy H. Woodall, a Birmingham osteopathic physician. It was during Percy’s year that Rotary of Birmingham continued to sponsor boys' activities. With the country at peace those activities continued at an unflagging pace. Dr. Woodall was born in Nashville in 1874 and joined this Rotary Club in our first year – 1913. Oscar Wells served as president in 1921-1922 and was president of The First National Bank of Birmingham. In the following year J. W. Donnelly led our organization in a year marked by a great growth in our membership. Our Rotary Club, along with others, got involved with the establishment of the local Community Chest in 1923. W. Carson Adams was president of Rotary in that year. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1880, Adams, a partner in a coal distributing business, served as the first campaign chairman of the newly formed Community Chest under that organization’s first president – Crawford Johnson. We all are familiar with the life of Dr. Henry M. Edmonds or at least those in the Presbyterian Church should be familiar with his name. A pastor at Independent Presbyterian Church, Dr. Edmonds led that church through some tumultuous years. It was during Dr. Edmonds’ stint as Rotary president in 1924-1925 that he experienced a serious illness, forcing the club to rely on the services of Vice-President Hill Ferguson for leadership. Birmingham publisher, John C. Henley, Jr., a charter member of this Rotary Club and president of Birmingham Publishing Company, was our president in 1925-1926. He also served as a Rotary District Governor in the early 1930’s. These Rotarian leaders and others led this club through the early and middle 1920’s with dignity, high principles and dedication to purpose insuring that our organization would continue on the right path for the years to come.

Rotary – Navigating Through Turbulence In The 1920’s

(Information on this subject and title was taken from A Century Of Service—The Story Of Rotary International by David C. Forward)

There was a period of turbulence for Rotary International in the 1920’s that continued on into the next decades although with diminishing occurrences. As the Rotary movement spread throughout Europe, including many countries where the Catholic Church was influential, rumors surfaced concerning an alleged connection between Rotary and Freemasonry. At that time many local Masonic Lodges were considered a meeting place for simple fraternal fellowship; while others considered the lodge as a home for a dark and secret society. There have been many famous individuals who were members of the Freemasons including George Washington, Harry Houdini, Duke Ellington, Ben Franklin, Winston Churchill, Mozart, and yes, Harpo Marx. Indeed there were Masons who were members of Rotary at the time. However, Paul Harris went out of his way to argue that the Freemasons never were an influence on the ideals of Rotary. Nevertheless, the turbulence gained hold as the Catholic Church embarked on a campaign against Rotary in the late 1920’s. The Catholic Church alleged that there was a link between Freemasons and The Rotary Code of Ethics and implied that Rotary was, by those codes, promoting itself as a universal religion. This was obviously untrue; however Rotary International had indeed become an influencing and powerful organization in the ensuing years since its inception. The situation continued to deteriorate to the point that the Vatican banned their priests from Rotary membership. The heart of the antagonism toward Rotary had begun in Spain and spread to other European countries. In 1929, Rotary International drafted a statement declaring that Rotary had no connection to Freemasonry. New members who had traditionally been issued a framed placard of The Rotary Code of Ethics would now receive the Rotary Objects of Rotary, while downplaying The Code of Ethics. The Vatican seemed to be satisfied by the gesture; however it took many years to heal the wounds and this was only accomplished as new members in Rotary who were Catholics began to spread the value of Rotary to other members of the Church. Pope John Paul II officially welcomed a delegation of Rotary to Rome in 1979 .The Freemasons, the Catholic Church and Rotary are now viewed as independent organizations not influencing each other as it had, in reality, always been.

1920’s

The Rotary Foundation

It was all Arch Klumph’s idea. A self-taught flutist, who played in the

Cleveland (Ohio) Symphony, businessman Arch Klumph was a charter member of

the Rotary Club of Cleveland and the father of the idea to start an endowment

fund for the organization. He wanted to expand the good work of Rotary International, and as president of the International Association of Rotary Clubs in

1916-1917, he persuaded the Rotary International Board to approve the first

endowment fund, known as the Rotary Endowment Fund.

Klumph’s idea was to accept endowments ‘"to do great things for Rotary."

The Board did approve the new fund, however the project languished for nearly a

decade with no mechanism set in place for funding. As a result, during that

decade, there was little tangible action taken and very little enthusiasm for

Klumph’s project. After six years the fund balance was a paltry $700.

By 1928 delegates to the Minneapolis Rotary Convention changed the

name of the fund to ‘"The Rotary Foundation"’ and by 1932 $50,000 had been paid in by way of contributions. However, the ever worsening effects of the stock

market crash and The Depression had the result of drying up to a trickle the level

of contributions to the fund.

Even as bad as the times were it did not stop Rotary from making its first

donation of consequence - to the International Society for Crippled Children. By

1937 a drive had been launched toward a goal of raising $2,000,000 for the

national Rotary Foundation and it seemed that finally Klumph’s vision would be

realized. However, World War Two dashed those hopes at least for the time

being. After the war, the Foundation began to be funded on an ever-increasing

basis resulting in a balance of $1,775,000 by 1948. In the 1980’s the Rotary Club

of Birmingham Foundation was established with an initial gift from Prince

DeBardeleben, Whitney. With these developments and others around the world in local clubs, Arch Klumph’s vision for funding international, national, and local

projects with an organized Rotary fund had been attained.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION The 1920s were good years for Rotary here in Birmingham and for the country at large. Rotary was about to celebrate its Silver Anniversary as 1930 approached and then the stock market crashed. Free-wheeling optimism gave way to bank failures and soon soup was being distributed on the streets of the major cities in America. Rotary national officials were trying to plan for a club whose membership was the business community as business was essentially bankrupt. Across the country many Rotary Clubs allowed their members to bring their own lunches to meetings---meetings now held often in church basements, community centers and schools rather than the fancy restaurants of the era prior to the Depression. This was the point in which Rotary stopped paying outside speakers and often called on their own members to take to the podiums for programs. There were those in the Rotary organization who felt that the economic conditions called for a temporary softening of some of the Rotary ideals. Rotary long-time secretary Ches Perry helped stop that thought process by stating, "Today the world suffers---not because of an abundance of ideals, but because of a lack of ideals in those years when anything was all right that seemed to yield a profit." During the Depression Rotary operated food kitchens, helped feed school children and supplied clothing to the needy---and there were plenty of those. Here in Birmingham capital investments had all but dried up, spending by the consumer was drastically curtailed, pig iron and steel piled up, and mills and mines were closed. Many in the community and the country recognized that Birmingham had been especially hard hit by the Depression. Indeed, the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, went so far as to state that Birmingham was "the worst hit town in the country." Our club surely lost many members during those years as had Rotary on the national and international arenas. However, by 1935-1936, a recovery had started and both Rotary nationally and here in Birmingham began once again to grow.

The Rotary Club The Second Part of the

Decade The 1920’s The second part of the decade of the 1920’s saw W. Thornton "Speedy" Estes as our president in 1926-1927. Thornton Estes was followed by James H. Eddy, the manager of the Kaul Lumber Company in 1927-1928; Dr. Charles B. Glenn, Superintendent of the Birmingham Public School System in 1928-1929; and Darius A. Thomas, president of Montevallo Coal Mining Company in 1929-1930. It was March 7th of 1927 that marked the occasion of the death of J. Frank Rushton, president of this club in 1916-1917 and the first president of this club to pass away. Frank Rushton was born in November of 1876 in Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee. He was the son of William J. and Louise (Chaffin) Rushton. His father, William J. Rushton, was also a member of this club. Frank Rushton married Willis Roberts in 1899 and had been educated at local schools here in Birmingham. He worked with his father at Birmingham Ice & Cold Storage, at one time known as Birmingham Ice Company, and succeeded him as president. Frank and Willis Rushton had eight children including William J. Rushton, our own Billy Rushton’s father and Allen Rushton, our own Allen D. Rushton’s father. All were or are members of this club. Frank Rushton was a member and long-time president and Elder of First Presbyterian Church and was a member of many other Birmingham clubs. Widely beloved throughout the community, Rushton presided over our club during the trying years which saw America’s entry into World War One. The government recruited our club to mobilize national morale and home resources. Dubbed "Allied Armies" with Frank Rushton as "Field Marshall," the organization was effective in establishing a pattern for civic campaigns, including several Liberty Bond Drives. Frank Rushton also served as a director and board member of the Community Chest Drive in 1925. The Rushton family has long been an important part of the community and of Rotary’s leadership; and Frank Rushton, as president, served this club well.

1920’s – The Muscle Shoals Debate In the early 1920’s, there was a serious debate taking place in the meeting rooms of local civic clubs here in Birmingham. Two nitrate plants were built in 1917-1918 on farm land in Colbert County, Alabama. Along with these plants the building of Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River had begun. An honorary member of this club, President Woodrow Wilson, sanctioned the construction of the nitrate plants and the dam which would be named for him. Construction was started, and for the building of the dam thousands of workers were employed. With those employees came a need for 1700 temporary buildings, 240 permanent buildings, hundreds of homes, a hospital, barber shops, schools and stores. As the building of the nitrate plants was nearly completed, and with the ceasing of World War One activity, there was less need for nitrates which were used in the making of ammunitions and explosives. This led to the controversy as to what to do with the nitrate plants and the "then-uncompleted" dam. Would those facilities stay under the control of the public sector or would they be sold to private investors? At that point – 1921 – automotive tycoon, Henry Ford, accompanied by his friend, Thomas Edison, entered the picture. By this time Edison was internationally known and respected and Henry Ford’s company commanded 50% of the automotive market. Together, Edison and Ford were the most dynamic twosome of the era. Ford wanted to buy the nitrate plants and lease the dam and a steam plant in order to develop the area and build a city. In Ford’s own words that city, "would rival New York City" in size and importance. He imagined a city 75 miles long, encompassing homes, manufacturing plants – specifically automotive related plants – building Fords of course – and farm implement manufacturing plants. The debate raged between those who wanted Ford to develop the area and those in Congress, the state government, and Alabama Power Company who wanted the facilities to remain in the public sector. As speculators swamped the area, our club wanted to get involved with the debate in order to promote better train connections and railway between Birmingham and the proposed new city, if built. This club, like all the clubs in our city, had members on both sides of the argument and there were several attempts to entice Ford and Edison to come to Birmingham and get involved in the fray. Neither took the bait and ultimately Congress rejected the sale to Ford. The Tennessee Valley Authority was formed in 1933 after the dam was completed, and the two nitrate plants were converted to produce cheap fertilizer for the farming industry in the area. This was the beginning of a period of growth for the city of "Muscle Shoals," which had been officially incorporated in 1923.

THE 1930s THE MIGHTY WURLITZER

The Rotary Club of Birmingham, as a group, first made the trek to Atlanta in our first year of 1913. They traveled by train as they would once again do in the 1930s. The expedition of Birmingham Rotarians in the 1930s happened under the Rotary presidency of George V. Klimes, president of Alabama Vinegar Company. The trip to Atlanta was a special opportunity to demonstrate fun and camaraderie. It happened that Past President, Robert D. Johnston, an attorney, had been invited to address the Atlanta Rotary Club and he decided to take members of this club with him. The subject of his address was "La Fayette, we are here." On that day a special railroad car was attached to the usual morning Seaboard train and it was filled with Birmingham Rotarians. In those days the mood was set at our magnificent Alabama Theater by playing "The Mighty Wurlitzer" organ before the movie was shown. This has been a tradition that the Alabama Theater has continued through the years. To help set the mood for his talk, Johnston planned to use an ancient portable parlor organ which he took aboard the train, carrying with him a sign "larger than life" that read "The Mighty Wurlitzer." In a great, anticipatory mood, the Birmingham Rotarians were on their way. Travel in those days was not as frequent and no one remembered that there would be a time change between Birmingham and Atlanta. The train was on schedule; it was the Birmingham Rotarians that were late, and as a result, the meeting in Atlanta was half over when the train steamed into the Atlanta station. It is remembered that the "game and hospitable Atlanta Rotarians" met the train and rushed the Birmingham group to the meeting. Inadvertently, the organ and the sign were left behind. Bob Johnston’s address, a masterpiece of wit and fellowship, was uproariously received and acclaimed. However, his plan to use the small organ and sign would have take place on another day. On the return, a small but select group of Birmingham Rotary Club music lovers sat in the baggage car listening to their current President, George Klimes, play the "Wurlitzer" all the way back to Birmingham.

The 1930s Our International Presidents

In the 1930s our club gained the long-term services of two of our

most distinguished members – distinguished both for their work with this club

and with Rotary International. Frank E. Spain and Roy D. Hickman both

became international presidents for the Rotary Club.

Frank Spain’s life was marked by outstanding service in a variety of

fields. He was a lawyer, scholar, church and civic leader, world traveler and

humanitarian. He was born in Memphis on October 11, 1891 into a tradition of

service. As the son of a minister he spent many of his early years with his

parents living in various parsonages in locations that stretched from this state

to Texas. At one point in his early life, he yearned to become a doctor and

attended Barton Academy in Mobile, Alabama, majoring in premedical subjects.

He was class valedictorian at Southern University in Greensboro where he

earned an A.B. degree and a scholarship medal. Forgoing his dream to

become a doctor, he attended law school at the University Of Alabama. He

helped pay for his studies by marketing his photography skills, an interest that

followed him throughout his life. He served as Birmingham’s assistant city

attorney in 1917; and after World War I, returned to our city to join a law firm

that would eventually become the prestigious Spain, Gillion, Grooms, and

Young.

Frank Spain joined this club in 1937 and served as president in 1942-1943

as well as District Governor in the following year. From that early period

Frank Spain spent more and more of his time on Rotary projects, while continuing

to handle many other civic and professional positions and responsibilities that he

felt were important. In 1951, Mr. Spain was elected international president of Rotary - the first from this club - where he served with dedication and

distinction visiting Rotary clubs throughout the world. Here in Birmingham,

the Spain Rehabilitation Center is an example of the civic responsibility

for which Frank Spain and his family became so well known. Frank Spain died on October 22, 1986.

Rotary International President Roy D. Hickman

Taken from our 75th year commemorate book, which was dedicated to our two international presidents, Frank M. Spain and Roy D. Hickman, we remember today Roy Hickman. The Birmingham Rotary Club has one of the oldest and richest histories in the country and especially in the U. S. Southland. This is made possible by the work of our members now and those who preceded us. One of those members who contributed so much to this club was Roy D. Hickman. Roy Hickman was born on January 27th 1902 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His mother was widowed when Roy was only two years old. As the youngest of six children he immediately developed a work ethic that would serve him well all of his life. He first was employed with General Electric after proving himself as a successful door-to-door salesman. He attended the University of New Mexico where he studied business administration. In 1926 Hickman came to Birmingham as a salesman for Alabama Engraving Company and became a member of Rotary here in Birmingham in 1935. His classification was “Printing and Publishing”, but his influence was felt in a number of fields. He moved ahead on both the Rotary front and in his business career with Alabama Engraving. As far as his business career, Roy soon became Chairman of the Board of the engraving company and with its affiliate company, Platemakers, the path was set for growth. Both of his partners were also members of Rotary – Robert B. Faerber and Robert K. Monroe. On the Rotary front, Roy Hickman was elected Director only three years after becoming a member and at the age of only 39 became president. Then as Birmingham celebrated its 100th anniversary Roy Hickman became this club’s second international president. The year was 1972-1973. As president of Rotary International, Roy traveled the world meeting with international leaders including—Indira Ghandi. Roy Hickman’s expertise and capacity for organization and efficiency have benefited the Chamber of Commerce of this city, The United Fund and the Tuberculosis Association. The hard working and energetic Roy Hickman died in 1994.

Rotary In The 1930’s Those Who Led Us In The 1930’s

As a result of the lasting and persistent effects of the depression, innovative presidents of this Rotary Club had to adjust to the economic times. During this period there was an accelerating exit of members from the club for economic reasons which laid a heavy burden on activities and projects. The leaders had to make adjustments in order to carry us through the turbulence. The Great Depression had just taken hold when Darius A. Thomas, president of Montevallo Mining Company became the first president of our club in the decade of the 1930’s. Thomas helped the club forge ahead with community service and determined leadership. B.B. Burton followed Thomas in 1930-1931. Burton was president of Cable, Burton Piano Company and added a musical touch to club meetings. His background was one of culture and music, and the membership benefitted from those interests. Club singing was practiced and enjoyed by all. The vice-president of Continental Gin Company, Algernon L. Smith followed Burton as president of Birmingham’s Rotary Club. With ever-increasing financial pressures on the club and its members, the club leaned heavily on Algernon’s sound leadership and he carried it forward on an even keel and with a very conservative approach. Rounding out the leadership of the first half of the 1930’s were Robert D. Johnston and James C. Smith. Robert Johnston was an attorney and he was known for his flashing wit. James Smith, president of Roberts and Son, was said to broaden the club’s community scope with special emphasis on stimulating the size of the membership, an especially difficult job in the middle of the depression. These men were all special in regard to Rotary during this period, leading the club through very difficult times. More turbulent times were to come and Rotary leaders would again ‘step to the plate’.

Rotary In The Second Half Of The Decade Of 1930-1940

In 1934-1935 the leadership position of the Rotary Club of Birmingham

was held by George V. Klimes, president of Alabama Vinegar Company. As

president, Klimes could claim 205 members a new all-time high in

Rotary membership. Klimes subsequently served as Rotary Governor for

our district. He was the honored guest at a banquet inaugurating the

startup of the Fairhope Alabama Rotary Club in 1938.

Karl Landgrebe served as president of this club in 1935-1936 just as the

effects of The Great Depression were beginning to ease in this country. Landgrebe

was vice-president of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.

The recession of 1937 interrupted the recovery from The Great

Depression and Frank P. Samford led our club as president in 1936-1937. Samford was president of Liberty National Life Insurance Company. Samford

later served as District Governor. Due to Samford’s active role in civic and

community affairs and his enthusiastic support of Howard College, the

school was renamed “Samford University” in his honor.

After the term of Howard Richards, general manager of the Water

Works, as president, the Rotary year 1938-1939 saw Dr. James S. McLester,

a former president of the American Medical Association, lead this club.

Rounding out the decade of the 1930’s as president of our Rotary Club was Leo

Bashinsky. Leo Bashinsky was born in Troy, Alabama in 1892 and latter attended

Princeton University. At the time of his presidency he was a partner with

Bashinsky-Case Cotton Company. During his term as president, charity

activities were continued with particular emphasis directed to Boys Club work. In

1946, Bashinsky and his brother-in law purchased Magic City Foods, which

would later become Golden Flake Snake Foods.

The 1930’s had proven to be turbulent times for all; however those who

led our organization led us ably through that turbulence.

The Rotary Club A Case For Hospitality

Hospitality has always been an important by-product of our Rotary Club as well as all Rotary clubs. The spirit of hospitality has extended further than just club meetings, as exampled by events years ago involving our club. One year, three Rotarians from Seattle and Portland were passing through Birmingham and word was received here that the Seattle club would appreciate any courtesies we could extend to the travelers. With true Rotary modesty those three gentlemen did not call our Rotary office to make themselves known. But the Birmingham Rotary secretary deduced that they might be having lunch at the Tutwiler Hotel coffee shop on a certain day. Several members of our club sought out the visitors who were luckily wearing their Rotary buttons while at lunch at the hotel. After a formal introduction it was found that one of the visitors was a football fan. Some high-level and possibly underhanded ‘finagling’ followed, and the trio found themselves, with Rotary “brass” as their hosts, occupying choice seats on the 50-yard line at Legion Field that afternoon watching Alabama play a game. Later that day the three were personally escorted to their train on their way to Miami. As a result of this small act of hospitality, friendships were made. The unexpected payoff for one of our local members was when he made a trip to Seattle to see his son off to the Aleutians in World War Two. Both he and his son were guests at the home of one the three Northwestern Rotarians who had visited Birmingham. The cordial hands of Rotary members extended across the country as they do today.

The Challenges During World War II For Rotary

It has been said that in our early years Rotary was faced with three great challenges: the First World War, the Great Depression, and World War II. In the mid to late 1930’s Rotary in Europe was beginning to be threatened by the repressive fascist government of Benito Mussolini, who had, for a while, tolerated Rotary in Italy. However, when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, both countries made it clear that Rotary would not be a viable factor in either country. German Rotarians floated a range of ideas designed to save their organization. Those having contacts with senior Nazi officials Himmler, Goering, and Ribbentrob tried to personally intervene by contacting each of them. There was even an attempt to arrange a meeting between Rotary International officials and Hitler himself. When these plans failed, club leaders reluctantly voted to disband all Rotary clubs in Germany effective October 15, 1937. They returned their charters to Rotary International. About this same time Spain, which was embroiled in civil war, closed down all of that country’s Rotary clubs. This was also the case in Austria and Italy. At the 1938 Rotary International Convention in San Francisco, Maurice Duperrey, Rotary International president in 1937-1938, told delegates, “We sincerely regret that the Rotarians of Germany and Austria, in the face of circumstances, felt that the only decision they could take was to disband their Rotary clubs. But even if the members of Rotary clubs in Germany are no longer Rotarians, they are still our friends.” Even as Rotary’s future in Europe looked, at the time, dire, many Rotarians in the occupied countries continued to meet clandestinely.

Anxious Times for Rotary – World War II Leading up to the United States' involvement in World War II, Rotary

International was finding its very existence threatened in Europe. On the

other side of the world the news was equally grim. As the Japanese invaded

China, Rotary clubs in that region were forced to close, and the war officially

erupted, entire countries fell to German or Japanese forces. It was said (in

A Century of Service – The Story of Rotary International) that “484 clubs

and 16,700 Rotarians were wiped off the rolls of Rotary” during this time.

In Europe Rotary records were seized by the Gestapo, Rotarians were

imprisoned, and in Warsaw twelve members of the local Rotary Club were

executed. Some Rotary clubs that were closed down found their members

burning every record of membership.

French Rotarians continued to meet secretly after Germany invaded that

country. From the book, A Century of Service, the following story was told by

French Rotarians:

As was the case in Europe, Rotary members in the Far East were also

imprisoned, but in these instances, by the Japanese. It would seem that in some

areas of the world during the war it was difficult at best to be a member of

Rotary; however Rotarians, where and when they could, stood up to the

challenge.

“One day we were having (our club) lunch when a German officer, a General Shippert, came into the private dining room where we were sitting. The last mouthful (of food) stuck in our mouths as we thought he was coming to arrest us. But he was a Rotarian and past governor from Germany and said he had come to pay his respect to International President Maurice Duperrey. Weren’t we relieved!”

Those Who Led Birmingham’s Rotary Club During World War II

During the run-up and for the duration of World War II, several prominent local Rotary members led our club. These were troubling and anxious times for club members as well as for all Americans. It would take very special leaders - Rotary leaders - to keep our club's focus on Rotary's missions and ideals during war time. The 1940-1941 Rotary president was R.J. (Bob) Williams, also president of Birmingham Rail and Locomotive Company, a company that still exists at this writing in 2017. During Bob Williams' term, there were many diversified programs presented to the membership and committee activities increased. Aid to high school students was continued. The next two presidents’ terms were filled by our future international presidents, Roy D. Hickman and Frank E. Spain. The editor of The Birmingham Post newspaper, James E. Mills, accepted the position of president of this Rotary Club in 1943-1944. It was during James Mills’ term that the country, as a whole, and specifically our club’s membership was devoted and focused on an Allied victory in the war. As the war drew to an end, J.C. (Chap) Hodges, president of Cosby Hodges Milling Company, brought to Rotary an appreciation of Rotary friendships and club functions in a time of high anxiety. Dr. John H. Buchanan, pastor of the Southside Baptist Church served as president in 1945-1946. Dr. Buchanan was a humorous and dynamic speaker who set an "example for living and practicing the principles of Rotary." Sadly it was at the beginning of the decade that we lost the founding father of this club. H.B. (Harry) Wheelock. He died on February 5th, 1940. It should go without saying that without Harry Wheelock’s vision this club would not be the club it is today.

The Women Of Rotary From Rotary’s inception women have always played an important role in the club’s activities; however not always as official members. Indeed, it was not until 1987 that women were officially invited to join Rotary as members, although some clubs began to “stir the pot” earlier than 1987. Some clubs allowed women prior to 1987 as members, but when they did their charters were often revoked. In 1910, the real debate began regarding the role of women in Rotary. At the 1910 Rotary National Convention, Chairman Ches Perry, asked the president of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles about the rumor that his club (Los Angeles) had sanctioned a Ladies Auxiliary. It turned out only to be a rumor and the president of the California club made the statement that “there is no Ladies’ Auxiliary club in connection with the Los Angeles club, never has been, and probably never will be.” A Kansas City Rotarian added,” I think it is a hard enough job to handle two or three hundred men without having anything to do with the ladies.” Nationwide newspapers picked up on the statements and the official controversy of women membership in Rotary had begun. It would last for 77 years! The story of women in Rotary actually began at the very beginning as there were occasional social events in Chicago where wives were invited. Despite continued opposition on the part of the National Association of Rotary Clubs to women’s involvement, women still (early on) managed to form clubs based on the Rotary idea, although officially not part of the Rotary structure. In 1912, Ida Buell of Duluth, Minnesota was granted permission to speak to the 1912 Rotary Convention – an early first step to including women in the Rotary process. Ms. Buell asked the convention to allow her newly formed women’s organization to be started using the Rotary model and that it be duplicated in other cities. The suggestion was quickly dismissed by the all-male club convention. Even as Rotary's Board of Directors issued a statement that women were free to form organizations, they also made it clear that they could not use the “Rotary” name. Early on in the Rotary Club of Birmingham the only conversation concerning women involved arranging “Ladies’ Nights” where wives of members would have a social outing. The first Ladies’ Nights were held at the home of Thomas H. Molton. Women were destined to play a much more important role in Rotary in the years to come but not without a continuing and visible struggle.

Women IN ROTARY The Defiant Ones

The Rotary International Association Board had made it clear early on that women could establish clubs resembling the Rotary model, but could not make use of the “Rotary” name. In reality, many in the Rotary hierarchy did not ever like the idea of having women’s clubs patterned after Rotary. In 1921, a contingent of four wives of Chicago Rotarians approached the RI board requesting permission to form the Chicago Ladies of Rotary, a Rotary auxiliary. The majority of the board voted no, saying that the board “appreciates the very worthy purpose underlying the organization,” but refuses to allow the name “Rotary” to be used in connection with the group or any other group. Nonetheless, the ladies formed the organization anyway and in the same city where Rotary was originally formed. In May of 1921 the Women of the Rotary Club of Chicago was established as an Illinois nonprofit corporation and the club quickly grew to 250 female members. In Britain and elsewhere in Europe the defiance of the Chicago ladies was not as in the face of the Rotary hierarchy and when clubs were formed they went with a noncompeting name – the “Inner Wheel” club. In 1923 wives of members in Manchester, England were invited to a meeting of the Rotary Club of Manchester where they heard an important address given by the vice-president of Rotary's International Association for Great Britain and Ireland where he spoke in favor of women Rotary organizations. In January of 1924 the first meeting of the Inner Wheel Club of Manchester was held – the name “Inner Wheel” being derived from the inner circle of the Rotary wheel emblem. The organization initiated a drive to raise funds for knitted garments for the children’s ward at a close-by hospital. This first project evolved into the “Baby Bundles” program, where the clubs sent garments to young children all over the world. Although the Inner Wheel idea never took hold in the United States to the extent it did in other countries, it expanded all over the world adding multiple projects to its agenda and is now recognized as one of the largest women’s organizations in the world.

Women Of Rotary A Change Of Attitudes

In 1934 a Chicago study concluded that the “admission of women to the Rotary Club would appear to be unthinkable.” The reasons Rotary remained a male bastion for over 80 years were many: habit that led to tradition, the perceived rights of members to choose their own fellow members, and the feeling on the part of many members that they were not comfortable being forced to accept women by decree. These reasons were joined by some preposterous arguments. One member remarked that “we won’t be able to tell jokes around the table (at least some kinds of jokes). Another remarked that “my wife would never let me attend Rotary if women were also attending.” Despite these arguments and others there were more and more attempts to introduce women to the active membership of Rotary. In 1978 in direct contravention to the Rotary constitution, the Duarte, California Rotary Club admitted three women to their membership and an uproar was heard around the country. And because the ladies were invited to join the club, Rotary International revoked the club’s charter. This prompted an ugly lawsuit brought by the California club and the three new members. The lawsuit was based on a law incorporated in the civil rights acts of California and thirty-nine other states that proclaimed that business-related organizations could not discriminate on membership matters based on sex, race, color, religion or national origin. The plaintiffs proclaimed Rotary to be in the business category. Prior to this case, other Rotary clubs had routinely requested a change in the constitution to allow women members and with each three year assembly of the Council of Legislature, Rotary’s parliamentary body, the change to the constitution seemed more possible. Ultimately however, the decision was not to be made by Rotary. After several years of “legal ping-pong’’ on May 4th, 1987 the United States Supreme Court came to a 7-0 decision ruling against the Rotary hierarchy. In 1989 the council eliminated the word “male” from all constitutional documents; and as a result, hundreds of women joined Rotary across the United States. By then the Duarte, California Rotary Club’s charter had been reinstated.

Women Of Rotary Women Walk Through The Rotary Swinging Door

In terms of Women in Rotary everything officially changed in 1987 with the 7-0 decision by the United States Supreme Court which would force Rotary to accept women as members. All over the country women by the hundreds were invited to join the formerly all-male organization. In 1987-1988 William C. Hulsey served as president of the Rotary Club of Birmingham. Although there were other accomplishments during Billy’s year, the primary one, from an historical standpoint, was the admission of the first women into Birmingham’s Rotary Club. In Billy’s own words, “we took in women for the first time. The time had come and it has worked out well.” Many believed it was in fact long overdue. On October 14, 1987, in an announcement placed in the RotaryGram, the first three female members of our club were introduced. They were: Dr. Sara Crews Finley, then - Co-director of the Laboratory of Medical Genetics at the University of Alabama; Katherine M. McTyeire, the President of Iron Art, Inc.; and Sheila S. Blair, Executive Director of Leadership Birmingham. Maryam B. (Mimi) Head, President of Ram Tool & Supply Company, was introduced soon after. On an amusing note, new member, Spencer Robinson, was formally introduced at the same time as the first three women. He would joke that being introduced with the first three ladies to Rotary made him “the token male” of the group. Shelia Blair remarked in 1997 that the pace of women membership had been steady, but she’d prefer it be a bit faster. Women now account for 10% of this club’s membership. The struggle to admit women into Rotary didn’t have to be – but it had been – one long, hard fought battle. Now it seems natural that women are included in Rotary membership; indeed, women have made quite a contribution to Rotary. Two women of this Rotary club have served as our presidents – Shelia Blair and Katherine J. “Kate” Nielsen. At this writing, a third woman, Betsy Holloway, is president-elect and will lead the club in 2017- '18. The fact is – times change, cultures change, traditions are altered and changed, and the definition of change itself changes. Inviting women into Rotary was a change for the best, bringing a whole new group of dedicated members who brought with them their creativity and vitality. Yes, the time had come.

Rotary – Aiming Its Sights On The 1950’s Leading this club as it sailed toward the 1950’s were: Richard M. (Dick) Kennedy, a district manager of Alabama Theatres, Inc. Richard Kennedy was said to be a showman and his meetings were noted for color and entertaining programs. The president of our Rotary Club in 1947-1948 was James A. (“Jim”) Head, the then-president of James A. Head & Company. During his year as president, Rotary raised $20,000 for equipping a Rotary Better Hearing Clinic. Jim Head kept his Rotary membership until his death at age 106. The “Father” of The Southern Research Institute and Board Chairman of Alabama Power Company, Thomas W. (“Tom”) Martin provided Rotary leadership in the years 1948-1949. He packed the meetings with interesting speakers and promotion of projects for the community good. Attendance was said to be especially high during M. Rudolph (“Rudy”) Norton's presidency in 1949-1950. A partner in Bradford Norton, he invited Rotary International President Percy Hodges to visit our club that year. And Hodges accepted. World events were moving rapidly in 1950-1951 when Merrill E. Pratt became our president. It was said of Pratt that he presided with dignity and refreshing humor. He asked several members to give programs on their individual businesses. In the year 1950-1951 Sir Oliver Franks spoke to our club. A later successor to Lord Halifax as British Ambassador to the United States, Franks was described as "one of the founders of the post-war world." Lord Halifax had spoken to our club in the Rotary year of 1942-1943. On the national “Rotary” scene Rotary founder Paul Harris died in January of 1947. A writer, Paul Harris’s last book, My Road to Rotary, was published independently and sold through Kroch’s Bookstores in Chicago, Rotary’s home town. Also during this period, Rotary International, after having members participate in the start-up of the United Nations, fostered support for the organization throughout the world.

Rotary The Golden Anniversary

As we slowly pace our way through our centennial year for The Rotary

Club of Birmingham, we acknowledge the special events that were a part of this

past 10 months. In February of 2014 the special events of this centennial

year will become a memory, just as they have for our Golden Anniversary, 50

years ago. Let us remember the events that were the backdrop for Rotary’s

50th birthday.

This club celebrated its first 50 years in 1963. Our membership in that

year totaled 265 members. Rotary International celebrated its first 50 years in

1955.

From the book, A Century of Service, The Story of Rotary International by

David C. Forward, we learn that our “father club” gave scholarships to 494 young

men and women from 57 countries in 1955. Rotary International also published

a 50-year book and released a motion picture, The Great Adventure.

Here in Birmingham in February of 1963 special events were scheduled

for our Golden Anniversary. A special luncheon was held at the Tutwiler Hotel on

February 6th, 1963 with a 93% attendance. Col. William J. Rushton, the 40th president of our club, served as the Master of Ceremonies. Rotarians who had

been members for over 30 years were reintroduced. The program that day

focused on the principals of Rotary and the history of this club. A large party

for local Rotarians was held February 7th at the Birmingham Country Club with the Master of Ceremony being William H. Hulsey. Members were greeted by

Rotary President Henry C. Goodrich. The conclusion of the 50th celebration

occurred at a luncheon on February 13th, 1963 where Frank E. Spain, past President of Rotary International, introduced Nitish C. Laharry of Calcutta,

India, who was at that time, the President of Rotary International. Many of our

members at that time were involved in the planning of our Golden

Anniversary, just as was the case 50 years later in 2013 for our 100th anniversary.

The Korean War Years The Rotary Club

Historians agree that the official time line for the Korean War is 1950-1953; although tensions in the region gradually escalated before that, finally resulting in an invasion into South Korea by North Korea in June of 1950. Back in our Rotary Club during those years events overseas were closely followed as the club carried on with its work. In the Rotary year 1951-1952, J.D. “Jack” McSpadden, the Vice-President of Liberty National Life Insurance Company, ably guided this club through the war years of 1951 through 1952 and was said to have earned the esteem and affection of the entire membership. Colonel William J. (Bill) Rushton, President Of Protective Life Insurance Company, was the first son of a former president of Birmingham's Rotary Club to serve as president of our organization. The Rotary year led by Colonel Rushton (1952-1953) was complete with strong programs, intellectual repartee, and a revival of real intra club interest. The stalemate on the Korean Peninsula from 1951 to July of 1953 ended with the signing of a final armistice agreement in July of 1953. As the Korean leaders continued to insist that they won the war, our Rotary leaders disregarded that boastful talk and turned a deaf ear to the North Koreans while continuing their community work. During the national Recession of 1953, Robert C. (Bob) Crumbaugh served as our president. It was during Crumbaugh’s year that ads in the club bulletin for local Birmingham companies were permanently discontinued. Amasa G. (Mac) Smith followed Crumbaugh as the President of Birmingham’s Rotary Club. He was the manager of Chicago Bridge and Iron. During his year several special programs took place reflecting on Rotary’s Golden Anniversary. Leading our club into the middle 1950’s was John A. Hand, Executive Vice President of The First National Bank of Birmingham. Many of the programs given during Hand’s year (1955-1956) were from representatives from other cities and from foreign countries. The rest of the 1950’s were to be times of great prosperity for our club and the country as a whole, with the exception of 1958’s short-term recession.

The Rotary Club A Request That Was Heard Around

The World - Part I In the early 1980’s, as debate raged over the proposed addition of women to the membership ranks of Rotary, another debate was taking place. This one centered on the issue of inclusion. Both of these debates would, ultimately, permanently change how our club would choose new members. Since the club’s inception in Chicago, Rotary had been considered a private club with both civic and social agendas. In many clubs across the country there was almost an air of exclusivity associated with the membership. This was true in Birmingham for decades; however by the early 1970’s and early 1980’s Rotary across the country had evolved into more of a civic club than an exclusive private club. In the words of Mary Alice Carmichael, a Birmingham Rotarian, and contributor to the 90-year Rotary publication, Ninety Years of ‘Service Above Self’, "The mid-part of the twentieth century world-wide had been a time of great challenge, turmoil, and change brought about by an emphasis on equality of (both) race and gender that had not been prominent on the public agenda earlier. In both of these areas, the Constitution of our club, written in 1913-1915, had been mute. (The fact was our original Constitution actually had a 'White males only' membership clause written into the constitutional verbiage. This was possible due to the fact that our charter predated the 1922 date after which all new Rotary clubs had to adopt the standard club constitution.) External pressures were brought to bear world-wide for change and this club was caught in the maelstrom." A request to open the Birmingham Rotary Club to all persons was made to members of the Board in 1982. The request was quickly voted down and resulted in the resignation of an officer of the club who just happened to be, at that time, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. He would not be the only one to challenge some members' determination to keep things the same way they had always been. The next time a member made that same request, it would have local and national ramifications.

Spotlight On Birmingham The Rotary Club – Part 2

A year after a Rotary Club member resigned following the rejection of his request to open the club to all persons eligible for membership, another attempt was made. The then- Editor of the Birmingham Post Herald newspaper told the Board that “his personal beliefs did not square with the exclusiveness of the club membership policy. In the slightly altered words of Mary Alice Carmichael, “he wanted the club to change its admission process to include persons who had (previously) been excluded.” The Editor threatened to make his request a personal crusade. He even threatened to take debate or the lack of debate to the newspaper and challenge the club nationally to force a change of policy on the Birmingham club. While the threat was taken seriously; once again the Board voted the request down and the Editor resigned from the club. This was a most unpleasant situation for the entire membership; and while there was a contingency in the membership who didn’t want to include others in the club based on race; most of the opposition was said to be focused on independence of thought. Many members just didn’t want the national Rotary organization or anyone else telling them what to do. At least in the minds of many in the club, this was an invasion focused on a deliberate attempt to throw out tradition. Birmingham had, over the years, been a major player in race issues and struggles, so the spotlight was already fixed on the Magic City. This local Rotary disturbance only helped to turn the spotlight from dim to bright. And the bulb was only getting hotter. By the 1980’s there were thousands of non-Caucasian members in Rotary clubs throughout the United States and internationally. It would seem that the Rotary Club of Birmingham had become the most visible opponent to change, continuing to enforce their “white only” membership policy. At this point in the 1980’s, our club appeared to be out of step with rest of the nation. Birmingham’s reputation regarding race preceded our club’s struggles in the 1980’s .But to many, across the country, it was all the same issue. Next – “Cooler Heads Prevail”

Cooler Heads Prevail

The Rotary Club Part 3

Since Birmingham’s Rotary Club had its own Constitution, and one not sanctioned or governed by Rotary International, our club leaders and many in the membership did not feel compelled “to fall in line" with Rotary International and accept the national Constitution. Our local Constitution had always included the “white-males only” clause; needless to say, that was exceptionally distasteful to those in other parts of the country, as well as to many of our members. In the 1980’s, Birmingham’s Rotary Club was not the only club not complying with International’s request (indeed, their demand) for all clubs to be in compliance with Rotary’s Constitution. But we were the most visible. Our city’s race relations history made us the most easily- targeted of all the clubs that were fighting Rotary International at that time over the issue. And as a result there began a flurry of requests by the national press to interview our officers and board members in order to further quantify this club’s position on membership matters. In the words of Mary Alice Carmichael, “Suddenly our Club’s struggles (with both the Constitution and race/gender issues) became more public.” Not only were our members subjected to requests for interviews, on several occasions, reporters would show up uninvited to meetings, thrusting “microphones and cameras into the faces of high-profile members.” This was negative publicity for our club and our city, which all had seen before. As the situation began to look more difficult, Dr. Leslie S. Wright was introduced into the fray. Dr. Wright was, at that time, the retired President of Samford College. He was a Birmingham Rotary member, and at that critical time, a Director of Rotary International. He was attending a pre-Rotary International Convention meeting where he was the recipient of “bad vibes” from International’s hierarchy. While he was there, a statement was sent out to all at the meeting that Rotary International would not recognize anyone from any of fifty-five older clubs whose constitutions were not in compliance with the current Rotary Constitution. Dr. Wright immediately made urgent calls to top Rotary officials in Birmingham. He wanted our club to comply with the demands of Rotary International. Partly as a result of Dr. Wrights’s stature within the community, and triggered by his visit to the Rotary International meeting, the club settled the dispute amicably, voting almost unanimously to adopt the standard club Constitution. It would appear that Dr. Wright’s influence and stature within the community was just the right “wild card” needed to end the dispute. On November 20th 1985 the weekly RotaryGram introduced as our new member, Dr. Arthur G. Gaston, an African-American entrepreneur, who would remain in the club attending meetings even after his 100th birthday. Next, on a more upbeat note, the subject will be “Polio.”

PolioPlus

Rotary’s Finest Hour

From the Rotary Club book, “A Century of Service, The Story of Rotary International” by David C. Forward, the author states, "For most of the first half of the 20th century, few single words could evoke more fear than( the dreaded disease infantile paralysis or as it is commonly known), ‘Polio’." The crippling disease chose its victims without discrimination and without warning. The origin of a nationwide polio epidemic in 1916 was thought to be New York City, the disease probably brought over from Europe. This particular malady, which would become an epidemic across this country, quickly made a name for itself by 1916 when more than 25,000 people nationally became paralyzed and 7,000 died. With almost a directed purpose, polio seemed to seek out children, crippling babies in ghettos and in wealthy neighborhoods alike. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of polio’s victims. Again from the book mentioned above, “In an ordinary week on an ordinary street, most children would wake up normally and run outside to play, while two or three would awaken with a slight fever, unable to move their limbs and with a spreading paralysis.’ In many cases it would become almost impossible for the child to breathe, resulting in the need for an iron lung to support breathing. Nationally, Rotary responded to the horrible situation in the traditional way, by helping with the aftereffects of polio, such as providing wheelchairs, vocational training and family assistance. This response was on a club to club basis. Most Rotarians thought that they could best serve the community by addressing the symptoms of polio. But this would change in April of 1955 when the U.S Public Health Service held a ceremony for the purpose of announcing the licensing of a polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. It then became Rotary’s mission to join with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to provide the manpower and funding to immunize the public throughout the world. By 1960, when Dr. Albert Sabin developed his oral polio vaccine there was already talk of eradicating polio throughout the world. For Rotary’s part, this would be the beginning of the “PolioPlus” program and one of the club’s finest moments.

Polio Becomes A Major Rotary Project - Part 2

In 1955, The U.S. Health Service licensed Dr. Jonas Salk’s injectable polio vaccine. Shortly after, Dr. Albert Sabin successfully produced an oral vaccine. The first major field trial for the vaccine was held in the Soviet Union. The Russian people were apparently the world guinea pigs in regard to the large scale polio programs. It was directed that the vaccine would be administered to every person between 2 and 20, apparently with no regard as to whether the vaccine worked or not. At this point there were two camps in the polio program hierarchy regarding the implementation of the immunization program – One group wanted to take care and go slow with the program to insure that there were no negative ramifications involved with the program. The other side saw the immunization program as just one of the many battlegrounds on which the war on polio would be fought – and they didn’t want to waste any time. The immunization program in Russia produced an immediate result, with 77 million Russians and 23 million people in other Eastern Soviet Bloc nations immunized. New cases of polio all but disappeared in the areas where the immunizations took place (in Russia and the Eastern Bloc countries). As the immunization program was initiated in other industrialized countries those nations also saw a sharp drop off in the number of polio cases. This was a much- heralded and successful program wherever it was implemented, but there was a problem. The industrial nations had more advanced health structures set in place than the developing countries. The industrial nations implemented their immunization programs and very quickly got results,while the developing nations struggled to make a dent in the control of polio. The health officials in the industrialized nations knew that the process of involvement by any outside polio immunization organization in the developing countries would have to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. But they also were aware that without complete eradication of the disease; there was the opportunity that the disease could spread from developing country to developing country. I n 1972, Dr. Robert Hingson spoke to the Oakland Rotary Club near Pittsburgh, PA on the subject of his new invention, the “peace gun”. Dr. Hingson said his new injection gun could be loaded with multiple doses of vaccines, making the task of vaccination much faster. That was the time for Rotary Clubs in America and the nations across the world to step up to the plate, and they did. Polio had to be eradicated. The Rotary Club of Birmingham would become a major contributor to that cause.

The Rotary Club Polio and the PolioPlus Program

After the PolioPlus Program was established on a national basis, our Birmingham Rotary Club began to become more involved with the project. Our club also took a leadership position in the effort to eradicate the horrible disease.

Dr. Leslie S. Wright was contacted by national Rotary personnel involved with PolioPlus and asked if he would become the Rotary International Chairman for the eradication of polio, world-wide. Dr. Wright traveled all over the world, touching the hearts of people regarding the subject of polio. Rotary, the World Health Organization and UNICEF all worked together on the same mission, Rotary urged to raise $120,000,000.

In the Rotary publication, Ninety Years of ‘Service Above Self,’ Mary Alice Carmichael commented on Dr. Wright’s effort to raise money to purchase vaccine for use across the world. “His enthusiasm and skills, (plus the desire on the part of all the organizations) to rid the world of the scourge touched the hearts and pocketbooks of people all over the world, and double the amount of money requested was raised. Our club alone raised $220,000 under the direction of our PolioPlus Chairman, Hugh Jacks.

Unfortunately, the PolioPlus Program only worked successfully in countries that would allow the vaccine to be administered. Fortunately, that was almost all the nations of the world. All in all, the effort to eradicate polio has been a huge success with only six countries still affected by the dreaded disease , including: Somalia, Pakistan, Nigeria, (recently Syria), Kenya and Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, polio has made a rebound due to wars and political violence, in the near east, Africa, & Pakistan, so there’s more work ahead…

SOME OF OUR EARLIER LEADERS The Rotary Club Of Birmingham

There is, and was, no more important figure to Rotary in Birmingham than Harry B. Wheelock. There will be a complete Rotary History Minute profiling him soon. Those who served as president of our club after Harry Wheelock in 1914 included John E. Shelby of Cable, Burton, Shelby Piano Company. This was a period of time of expansion of Rotary to other cities in the Southeast including Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, Augusta, Tampa, Montgomery, and Mobile. Our club was designated, “The Evangel (Evangelist) of Rotary” for helping to trigger those clubs' development. John Shelby later served as vice-president of Rotary International. Following Shelby was J. D. Moore, president of Moore-Handley. Serving Rotary in the years 1915-1916, Moore was especially interested in visiting the local clubs in the South for the purpose of cementing strong ties between them. J. Frank Rushton, executive of Birmingham Ice and Cold Storage, was Birmingham Rotary’s fourth president. Frank Rushton ably presided over Rotary during the trying year which saw America’s entry into World War I. He was one of the most involved in the early Boy’s Club in Birmingham on behalf of our Rotary Club. We, as a club, owe much to Frank Rushton, who worked hard for the betterment of Rotary both during and after his term (1916-1917). In addition he fathered two of our later presidents, Colonel William J. Rushton and Allen Rushton serving in 1952-1953 and 1961-1962 respectively. It didn’t end there. Both son’s sons served as president of Birmingham Rotary also, Allen D. Rushton (1973-1974) and William J. Rushton, III (1988-1989). There will be more on the Rushtons in a later write-up.

Too Many Members? The Birmingham Rotary Club

The national Rotary Club (Rotary International) was celebrating its 75th year in 1980 and Birmingham’s Rotary Club was not far behind that important milestone. Our club was already a large club, and some were asking, “Is the club in Birmingham too large?” Across the country the same question was being asked of others in the Rotary membership. Fast forward several decades and some might ask the same question; after all, Birmingham’s club is the largest Rotary Club in the world. Is our club too large? For an answer we only need to look back to the 1970’s at a statement made by former Rotary president and, at that time, member, James A. Head who stated, “Rotary is not simply a ‘club’ that (large numbers of club members) can just enjoy friends, clients and customers each week, it’s an organization (that gives us all the opportunity) to help people who need help, to address nationwide and world health problems and to develop even more respect of the races, religions, and genders.” The fact is that the larger the club, the more the opportunities to help others in the community and the world. No member knows every member of our club, but the opportunity is there to develop new friendships and enjoy the fellowship each week at Rotary. Each member can participate in the club’s noble principles and enjoy the fellowship of others. After all, each week from 12:15 to 1:30 on Wednesdays, if you attend, your world is just you and the other members at your Rotary table, always with a long list of opportunities and causes to take on within the setting of fellowship. It would seem in terms of Rotary membership matters, the more members the merrier and the more the club can accomplish. Our club’s size is an asset we all should be proud of and recognize that the more members we have, the more effective our club can be.

Nationally Prominent Rotarians The Rotary Club

Every Rotary Club lays claim to having in its membership ranks prominent men and women from the community. Those that serve the local clubs are often the leaders in the community. It should be of interest that we recognize some of those in the past who were on the national Rotary scene that have served Rotary as either a member or as an honorary member. Some of those you may not expect. The past associated members, honorary members and those with a special interest in Rotary include: German novelist Thomas Mann, United States poet James Whitcomb Riley, Admiral Richard E. Byrd (artic explorer), U.S. President Warren G. Harding, U.S. President Gerald R. Ford, Earl Warren (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), Adlai Stevenson (U.S. ambassador and governor), Associate Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart), J.C. Penny (founder of the department store), Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. (Walgreen Drugs), Cornelius “Connie Mack” McGillicuddy (U.S. baseball player), Harland Sanders (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Dr. Charles H. Mayo (Mayo Clinic), Orville Wright (aviation pioneer), Clarence Birdseye (Birdseye Foods), Norman Vincent Peale (minister and lecturer), Pearl S. Buck and Sir Winston Churchill. Other prominent Rotarians include: Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Walt Disney, Senator J. William Fulbright, Sir Edmund Hillary, General “Black Jack” Pershing, President Woodrow Wilson and many more. Forgive me for those that were left off the list; but take this to heart, as a member of Rotary, you are, for the most part, in good company.

The Rotary Club Our Leaders in the Mid to Late 1950’s

As the Korean War came to an end, there was a period of great prosperity for Americans. With the exception of 1958’s short-term recession, America, and for that matter Rotary, thrived during the period of the mid to late 1950’s and early 1960’s. During this period, there was a pattern of effective Rotary leadership which included the leadership of Herbert E. (“Herb”) Smith Jr. in 1956-1957. Herbert Smith was president of the Vulcan Rivet and Bolt Corporation, a member of Birmingham’s Rotary Club, and later served as Rotary District Governor. A highlight of Smith’s administration was a presentation by Rotary members of the first series of educational television programs given on the subject of civic clubs in general. Also during Herb’s administration there was a civic club combined meeting and inspection of Cosby-Hodges Milling Company, "delightfully reminiscent of the 'Rotary' idea of early years." Lewis F. (“Lew”) Jeffers followed Herb Smith as president of the Birmingham Rotary Club in 1957-1958. Jeffers was president of Hayes Aircraft Corporation. It was during Jeffers’ term that our club celebrated its 45th birthday. Also during Jeffers’ term, Roy Hickman was selected by Rotary to be Chairman of the Annual Convention of Rotary International in Dallas, Texas. It was at the Dallas Rotary International meeting that the famed Indian Springs Glee Club entertained for the group. It was also during Lewis Jeffers’ year that the nasty 1958 national recession occurred. After Jeffers, a minister took the helm of our club. Edward V. (“Ed”) Ramage, D.D., Minister of First Presbyterian Church led our club during 1958-1959 with effective leadership, the strength of love of the ministry, and the brilliant interpretive teaching of a preacher. That ‘’things always went right’’ attested to his ability as an organizer and as a presiding officer.

The Birmingham Rotary Club Residency at The Harbert Center

The Birmingham Rotary Club was first conceived by Harry B. Wheelock, a leading architect, and other business leaders at the old Turn-Verein Hall in the city. The first Rotary Club luncheon meeting was held at the Gold Lion Restaurant in 1913, but over the years the club has moved around from one Rotary venue to another. As the club evolved into a larger and larger organization the luncheon meetings were held at large hotels, such as the original Tutwiler Hotel, the Southern Club, the Daniel Building, and the First Alabama Bank Building. In Mary Alice Carmichael’s pamphlet, Ninety Years of Service above Self, she writes that some were saying in the 1970’s and 1980’s that "we had been kicked and cuffed around from the Tutwiler to the Daniel Building and to the Civic Center." The constant moves were disrupting to the membership and the ability of the organization “to function as a civic club.” It was 1982-1983 when Rotary member and then-president, John M. Harbert worked with fellow member Hall Thompson to locate and establish a permanent home for Rotary in the city center. During 1984-1985, a foundation was formed and incorporated by John Harbert, Charles B. Webb Jr. and Joseph M. Farley, two past presidents and one their current president. It was at that point that construction began on the new Harbert Center. On June 18th, 1986 our Rotary Club first met at The Harbert Center. The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the Monday Morning Quarterback Club, The Redstone Club, the Lions Club, The Rotaract Club Of Birmingham, the Birmingham Business Alliance, The Birmingham Venture Club, The Birmingham Tip-Off Club and others also utilize the functional space - - - a positive testimony to John Harbert and Hall Thompson and other members who envisioned such a facility where local organizations could meet.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM THE ROTARY CLUB ENTERS THE 1960’s

In the 1960’s Birmingham’s Rotary Club was involved with new projects such as the Group Study Exchange. Starting in the 1960’s, the Group Study Exchange immediately became a popular program. This was a program where a group of four to six young professionals from a foreign country visited our country. In turn a group of our business community members visited their country. In the Rotary year 1959-1960 Edgar G. Givhan, M.D. led our organization. He was a man of wit as well as competence and brought these qualities to his Rotary position. Givhan was followed by W. W. (Bill) French, Jr. Bill was president of Moore-Handley, Inc. and during his term there were excellent programs, outstanding club assemblies, and District Rotary participation. Both of Mr. French’s sons, James S. M. French (Jamie) and W. W. French (Bill) French, III also served as presidents of the Birmingham’s Rotary Club. Their grandfather, Dr. James Somerville McLester served as president in 1938-1939. Allen Rushton had the distinction in 1961-1962 of being the third member of the Rushton family to serve as this club’s leader. Of the notable events during the year, there was a visit of Rotary International’s president, Joe Abey, the re-establishment of naming the vice-president as the successor to the president, and a multi-club meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Birmingham, Ensley, Bessemer, and Tarrant. Allen Rushton’s son, Allen D. Rushton, served in the leadership role of Rotary in 1973-1974.

The Rotaract Club of Birmingham It was the early 1960’s at a high school in Melbourne, Florida that the first

Interact Club (a contraction of the words of action and international) was formed by a local sponsoring Rotary Club and Rotary International .The club included boys and girls from the ages of 14-18 who were in their secondary school

years and was maintained as “a service club modeled along the lines of a

Rotary Club” (A Century of Service – David C. Forward).

The concept quickly spread throughout the U.S. and was a success. It was

1968 when some Rotary members noticed that there was a gap “in the chain

of service” between Interact and the Rotary Club membership. To

accommodate the young adults whose ages were between the two groups,

Rotaract was formed in 1968 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was

designed to utilize the services of young adults between the ages of 18-30.

Across the nation and the world, Rotaract has been involved in a

multitude of projects, including organizing a milk bank in Argentina,

volunteering members’ time as volunteers and tutors for elementary

schools, vaccinating stray dogs against rabies in Brazil, donating blood for certain

African nations and rebuilding homes for the elderly in Britain. The organization,

like Rotary International, has also been involved in the polio projects.

In October of 2003 a Rotaract Club was formed in Birmingham by club

founders Mike Mahon and John Peinhardt. The club received a charter from

Rotary International in 2004. The club has been responsible for the Ready to Learn project (developing libraries for 2

nd grade city schools) and Ready To

Succeed, working with high school students as mentors. The club has an

association with the largest Rotary Club in the world (Rotary Club of

Birmingham) and is now the largest Rotaract Club in the world – quite a pair.

The Rotary Club A Flashback To The Early Rotary Years

In discussing the leaders of the Birmingham Rotary Club, several past presidents of the early years were important to the initial development of our organization. The first president of Birmingham’s Rotary Club was Harry B. Wheelock (discussed earlier). Without Harry Wheelock’s vision there is a good chance that this organization would not have developed so quickly and successfully. John E. Shelby served as this club’s second president. He was an owner of Cable, Burton, Shelby Piano Company. He was known as the “Evangel of Rotary” triggered by his involvement in founding many civic clubs across the South. J.D. Moore followed in 1915-1916 as our leader. He was head of the Moore-Handley Hardware Company and initiated regular visits to other southern Rotary Clubs by our members. Previously discussed, J. Frank Rushton followed J.D. Moore in 1916-1917as president. He was widely beloved in the community in a period during which the country was entering World War One. The leader of Birmingham’s Rotary Club in 1917-1918 was V. J. Nesbit, an attorney. Mr. Nesbit helped organize local support of our community during World War One. Ed H. Andrews, a general agent of Union Central Life Insurance Company, served our local club in 1918-1919. It was during Andrew’s term that we developed a working relationship with both the Boy Scouts and the Boys’ Club. Finally in 1919-1920, a man well known in Birmingham’s history, Morris Bush, served as president of our local club. At the time he was president of Hammond Iron Works. During the year the National Convention of the Kiwanis Club was celebrating events in Birmingham (with Rotary helping), Rotary provided a successful barbeque for the members of Kiwanis. All seven Rotary Club members mentioned above were important to Rotary’s early development and success.

The Rotary Club Districts and Zone Democracy

From the book, A Century of Service, The Story of Rotary International by David C. Forward, the history of membership involvement in Rotary is well documented. "Rotary may be the first personal experience with democracy for citizens of some nations,” he wrote. Democracy in Rotary plays out in terms of the calendar year with the election of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and directors. The Rotary year runs from the first of July to the last day of June of the following year. In 1912, delegates attending the Duluth Rotary Convention made a suggestion to all clubs in Rotary to create geographic groupings into divisions or districts. Each district, designated by a number, included 45-60 clubs. Some districts are large in geographical territory (the more sparsely Rotary populated districts) while others formed club districts from more populated areas, resulting in a smaller geographic footprint. “The district governor is an officer of Rotary International who is chosen for a one-year term by the clubs in the district,” Forward noted. Each district governor is responsible for conducting a yearly district conference and training seminar for his district club presidents. It is also the responsibility of the district governor to visit each club in his district and "evaluate their activities." The first organized official meeting of the district governors was held in 1919. That meeting was designated as the International Council (later the International Assembly). After the completion of the district leader’s term, he or she is "eligible to stand for election to the board of directors of Rotary International." “Rotary International groups 12 to 18 districts into zones. The highest elected office in Rotary, that of Rotary International president, requires the completion of a term as RI Director.” The president-elect and the president of Rotary International represent the organization around the world. Our Birmingham club has had two international Rotary presidents: Frank E. Spain (1951-1952) and Roy D. Hickman (1972-1973). Both members fulfilled in every way the highest standards of true Rotarians. (Commemorating 75 Years of Rotary.)

The Rotary Club

Leaders Leading Our Club Into The 1960’s

A physician, Dr. Edgar G. Givhan, was at the Rotary helm during 1959-1960.

Born in Montevallo, Alabama, Dr. Givhan was known for his “delightful admixture

of wit and competence.” He guided the club with a “pleasant re-interpretation of

friendships in Rotary.” (quotes from the 75 year Rotary roster dedicated to Frank

Spain and Roy Hickman)

W.W. (“Bill”) French, Jr., president of the Birmingham, Moore-Handley

Company, was credited with outstanding Rotary District participation. The French

family has been involved with the Birmingham Rotary Club since the early 1920’s.

A familiar name known to members of our club, Allen Rushton, led the club

during 1961-1962. Allen Rushton “had the distinction of being (at the time) the

third member of his family to serve as president of our Rotary Club”. Mr.

Rushton’s son, Allen “D.” Rushton, served as president in 1973-1974. During the

elder Rushton’s administration, our club co-hosted the Rotary Club District

Conference with the Tarrant, Bessemer, and Ensley clubs. That year the club also

“re-established the practice of naming the vice-president as successor to the

president.”

At the time during 1962-1963, Henry C. Goodrich was the vice-president

and director of The Rust Engineering Company as well as the president of

Birmingham’s Rotary Club. He served Rotary during “the colossal celebration of

the club’s 50th anniversary.” A new membership number of 280 members was

attained during Goodrich’s year. Following Henry Goodrich as the leader of our

club was William H. “Bill” Hulsey. Born in Carbon Hill, Alabama in 1901, Bill

Hulsey’s administration “was characterized by the high good natured humor

which” reflected Mr. Hulsey’s personality.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham “Members on a First-Name Basis”

In an early meeting of the Chicago Rotary Club the club’s members met at

the Sherman Hotel to plan their activities. It is not surprising that the men felt

close to each other, especially since the members' meeting room in the hotel,

lacking enough seating chairs, had the men perched atop the room’s radiators,

windowsills, on the beds and even on the floor. From the experience they

became closer friends – all, no doubt, on a first-name basis (perhaps this is a

stretch).

It was Gian Paulo Lang, president of Rotary International in 1956-1957 from

Livorno, Italy, who stated, “Let us be simple, for the simple way is often the best.”

It is the simple, but perhaps, the most effective way of addressing a Rotary

member by his or her first name, or nickname.

The practice of calling a member by their first name started as a habit, not

as a club rule. No doubt that was being practiced in that early meeting in the

Sherman Hotel in Chicago. To this day the practice remains, addressing our

current president by his first name, preceded by his title – President. Early

member, Rufe Chapin, recalled in 1925 that, “It (calling a member by his first

name) is the first step that breaks down the individual who suffers from an over-

plus of dignity.” Members leave their official titles of doctor, small shop owner,

attorney, public figure, etc. at the door of the meeting room and are addressed

only by their first name. While the tradition of “first name calling” was exported

around the world, it seems, at first, some early Rotarians were uncomfortable,

with the process. However now, the process is universally accepted and practiced

at each meeting of most clubs.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham

Rotary Leaders Of The 1960’s

President of Garber, Cook & Hulsey, Inc., William H. (“Bill”) Hulsey took

charge of the Rotary podium in 1963-1964. At the time, he was also chairman of

Realty Mortgage Company. It was the year that national recognition came to the

Hulsey’s fine art collection which ultimately would be located in the Birmingham

Museum of Art. The Hulsey administration was characterized by high good humor

which reflected William Hulsey’s personality. Following Hulsey in 1964-1965, John S. Jemison, Jr. took the helm of

Rotary. Jemison was, at the time, the chairman of the Birmingham company

Plantation Patterns. Jemison was an outstanding administrator and a master of

the delegation of authority. During Jemison’s tenure he helped revise the Rotary

senior active classification to conform to the pattern of Rotary International. It

was sad to note that during Jemison’s year, the last living charter member of

Birmingham’s Rotary Club died. George Fred Wheelock, Jr. died on January 27th,

1965. Several other pioneer Rotary members also died that year. The, then-recently departed members were commemorated and their passing reminded

our members of the aging of our membership.

It was Thomas E. (“Tom”) Bradford who, during his year, helped recruit new

younger members to the club. This was 1965-1966 when Mr. Bradford was also

instrumental in improving attendance, improving the weekly bulletins and

developing Rotary’s strength for the future. During Bradford’s year Rotary

International president, C.P.H. Teenstra of The Netherlands, visited our club.

Rotarians from across Alabama attended the meeting.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham “As The Rotary Years Go By”

Dr. Leslie S. Wright, President of Samford University, led our club during

1966-1967. Much has already been said of Dr. Wright’s involvement with

Birmingham’s Rotary Club, but it can be added that his year as president was

described as a well-organized period benefitting from good leadership, effective

committees and warm fellowship. The Rotary year coincided with the celebration

of Samford University’s (Howard College) 125th

Anniversary. There is no doubt

that it was a busy year for Dr. Wright.

Carl Duncan Hulsey followed Dr. Wright in the club’s “president” position.

At the time Hulsey was President of Hulsey Investment Company and a former

President of Realty Mortgage Company. “He emphasized various facets of club

service, such as attendance, fellowship, and good and interesting

programs.” (Commemorating 75 Years of Rotary). During the year M. Charles

Lucet, the French Ambassador, spoke to a joint meeting of Rotary and Kiwanis.

The French Ambassador awarded Rotarian William R. “Bill” Lathrop, Jr. the Legion

of Honor Medal commemorating his twenty years of distinguished service as the

French Consul in Birmingham. It served Mr. Hulsey well that he himself spoke

fluent French.

Harvey “Red” Terrell followed Mr. Hulsey in Rotary leadership. “Red”

Terrell was at the time (1968-1969), the Chairman of the Board of the First

National Bank of Birmingham. Terrell was a popular community leader and was

remembered as a “good presiding officer, with a keen sense of humor.” He was

instrumental in successfully joining with an Australian Rotary Club to bring to the

University of Alabama Medical Center an eleven-year-old Australian boy who

needed, and who received, a successful open heart operation. Arrangements for

this important club activity were started during Mr. Hulsey’s year and completed

during the year that “Red” Terrell held the president’s office.

The Rotary Club Of

Birmingham Into The 1970’s

An attorney and Partner with Bradley, Arant, Rose and White, John Reese Murray served our club in 1969-1970. A World War II hero and member of "The Greatest Generation", he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Bronze Star Cluster in 1944. He was one of many of our members who participated in the exclusive period known for their membership in "The Greatest Generation." After becoming president of Rotary in Birmingham, Reese created the Mr. Fellowship Award and visitors were always introduced to all of those whom attended the weekly luncheons. He also campaigned to increase the attendance level of the club. Following Reese Murray’s year, Edward T. Beal, Manager of the U.S. Fidelity and Guaranty Company, provided his talents to Rotary in the years 1970-1971. It was during Beal’s year that our club organized an Interact Club at John Carroll High School. Rotary International President, William E. Walk, Jr., visited our club that year. Also during the year our organization’s Roy Hickman was in line to become President-Elect of Rotary International for the 1972-1973 period. In 1971-1972, Ray O. Noojin had a year to deal with an unpleasant development in terms of Rotary’s luncheons, especially from a historical standpoint. Rotary of Birmingham had met for over 50 years at several locations in the city, but mainly, and almost exclusively, at the (original) Tutwiler Hotel. During Noojin’s year, the Tutwiler was closed and subsequently razed and our club was forced to relocate. At that point we began a “stretch” at the Daniel Building for our luncheons. It was also during Ray Noojin’s tenure that football legend, Bart Starr, spoke to our club and received a standing ovation after his inspiring presentation. Also during this period, Betty Morrison began a long and effective stint as Executive Secretary of Rotary in Birmingham.

The Rotary Club Rotary Going Business Class

It is now the practice of the Rotary Club that general club membership in a

specific Rotary organization cannot include more than ten percent of a certain

business or service occupational category. This is based on general occupations

rather than offshoots of particular vocations. This was not the original practice

envisioned by early Rotarians. Although the clubs are now more open in terms of

allowing multiple memberships in business (and service) categories, originally

there was to be only one representative from each business or service class,

“included in the membership of a club.” (A Century of Service – David C. Forward)

Paul Harris noted that without this original process he could envision a situation

where, for example, six lawyers, after joining the club, tended to sit together and

“talk shop” together each week. Despite this early practice, there was always an

attempt to have members share resources and services with other fellow

members.

In 1908, it was Chicago Rotarian, Charlie Newton, who noticed that fellow

member and undertaker, Barney Arntzen, owned and drove a new ambulance,

which he described as “the finest of its kind in Chicago.” In an effort to connect

business members of Rotary, Charlie Newton found a way of contacting fellow

Rotarian, Doc (Dr.) Baxter, and asked him if he ever required the services of an

ambulance and driver. “Certainly I do” was the response of Doc Baxter; and he

and Barney connected in a new business arrangement. As a result, Rotary’s only

doctor, Doc Baxter, and the club’s only undertaker, Barney Arntzen, connected to

offer their professional services as a team working together. Hopefully it was a

more successful business venture for Doc Baxter than for the undertaker.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham More Rotary Leaders – 1970’s

Following the Rotary Club tenure of Ray Noojin as President, Richard S.

(Dick) Riley presided over our organization in 1972-1973. Dick Riley was an

Attorney and Partner with Spain, Gillon, Riley and Tate. In the early 1970’s Rotary

and Kiwanis met at the Tutwiler Hotel until its closing. It was during Riley’s term

that building and dining space was being configured for Rotary’s use in the Daniel

Building. It was said that Riley had to conduct business in spite of, and around,

stacks of building materials and groups of workmen. It was during Riley’s

administration that a fund was started (R&K Banquet Fund) by our club and

Kiwanis in a joint effort to logistically arrange for our dining room to be made

available for other clubs to utilize.

Also in 1973 Roy D. Hickman was winding down his term of service as

Rotary International President. Allen D. Rushton, a Partner with Lange, Simpson,

Robinson, and Somerville started meetings (as President) with a welcome and

with a joke or anecdote related to his trip to Europe. “Did I tell you about my trip

to Europe?” started several meetings and added to a year’s worth of humor for

the club. Rushton provided the good humor on a stage of warm fellowship

throughout the year. As President of Rotary, Rushton joined several members of

his family who had served in that capacity including his grandfather and father.

Rushton was a long-time supporter of the YMCA and served as Mayor of

Mountain Brook. Future President William E. Hull said of Rushton, “Evidence

abounds of his (Rushton’s) enduring commitment to the highest ideals of our

club.”

With the help of Rotary Program Chairman Henry V. Graham, Attorney

Edward M. (Ed) Friend Jr. and Graham were responsible for “unusually varied and

outstanding speakers.” As President of Rotary, Mr. Friend helped arrange for

several international leaders to speak to our club, including Past R.I. President

George Togasaki (1968-1969). It was during Ed Friend’s administrative year that

“a record number of new members” joined the Rotary Club of Birmingham.

President Friend also initiated the “Charity Fund Pledges” program, marking an

extension of this club’s services toward worthy causes.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham Donations To Rotary – President’ Room

Over the years many past and present members of Rotary have given donations and gifts to our club. Among those members who possessed the giving spirit was Frank Spain, who had served as President of Rotary International. In addition to monetary gifts, Spain gave Rotary his collection of Bibles which he had collected over the years. The Bibles were placed in the President’s Room at the Harbert Center. Our other member serving as President of Rotary International, Roy Hickman, gave a more diverse group of items from his personal collection of gifts. From a listing mentioned in the pamphlet, Ninety Years of ‘’Service Above Self,’’ prepared by Rotary President William E. Hull and Mary Alice Carmichael in 2003, we are reminded of the generosity of all our members. Roy Hickman provided a set of longhorns given by the Houston Rotary Club, a number of dolls (provided by Dorothy Hickman) representing different nations of the world, and a “crucifix made of sticks – from a very small place in Nepal.” The Hickmans had traveled to those places as representatives of Rotary. Also given by the Hickmans was “a very fine magnum of Chateau Margaux Wine” given to them from four Rotary Clubs in Bordeaux, France. These items are displayed in the Rotary office at the Harbert Center, which also includes Hickman’s personal photograph of the Pope (with the Hickman’s). It was said that the Pope spoke to his guest and said to him, “Mr. Hickman, Rotary, through its Rotary Foundation, does more to bring world peace than anything outside the church.” When in the “Museum of Rotary”, also take note of the Swedish glass on the Board Room table, given by Rotary District 138, Kalmar, Sweden. “It is carved and drilled from the inside and shows a polar bear swimming in the sea.” We are grateful for the artifacts which are housed in our Past President's Room.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham Donations To Rotary – President’s Room

Over the years many past and present members of Rotary have given donations and gifts to our club. Among those members who possessed the giving spirit was Frank Spain, who had served as President of Rotary International. In addition to monetary gifts, Spain gave Rotary his collection of Bibles which he had collected over the years. The Bibles were placed in the President’s Room at the Harbert Center. Our other member serving as President of Rotary International, Roy Hickman, gave a more diverse group of items from his personal collection of gifts. From a listing mentioned in the pamphlet, Ninety Years of ‘’Service Above Self’’, prepared by Rotary President William E. Hull and Mary Alice Carmichael in 2003, we are reminded of the generosity of all our members. Roy Hickman provided a set of longhorns given by the Houston Rotary Club, a number of dolls (provided by Dorothy Hickman) representing different nations of the world, and a “crucifix made of sticks – from a very small place in Nepal.” The Hickmans had traveled to those places as representatives of Rotary. Also given by the Hickmans was “a very fine magnum of Chateau Margaux Wine” given to them from four Rotary Clubs in Bordeaux, France. These items are displayed in the Rotary office at the Harbert Center, which also includes Hickman’s personal photograph of the Pope (with the Hickman’s). It was said that the Pope spoke to his guest and said to him, “Mr. Hickman, Rotary, through its Rotary Foundation, does more to bring world peace than anything outside the church.” When in the “Museum of Rotary”, also take note of the Swedish glass on the Board Room table, given by Rotary District 138, Kalmar, Sweden. “It is carved and drilled from the inside and shows a polar bear swimming in the sea.” We are grateful for the artifacts which are housed in our Rotary Board Room.

The Rotary Club of Birmingham More Rotary Leaders of the 1970’s

It is probably ill-defined to address any of Rotary’s past presidents as “leaders of a certain decade.” Most, if not all of them, served our club for several decades, not just for one. For example our leader in 1926-1927 was W. Thornton “Speedy” Estes, who served this club for decades and was recognized in 1975-1976 as Birmingham Rotary’s “oldest living” past president. Thornton Estes died in 1979. In the same year that Estes was honored as our club’s oldest living president, Ben B. Brown, Vice-President of South Central Bell, headed our organization as our leader. During his year a drive was made to make all of our past presidents Paul Harris Fellows. The first past-president that year to be recognized in the process was Thornton Estes. Also that year our club welcomed Rotary International President Ernesto Imbassahy de Mello (Brazil) as a speaker at one of our luncheons. The luncheon was in celebration of our club’s 63rd birthday along with America’s Bicentennial (perhaps, I should add, not in that order of importance). In 1977-1978, Crawford T. Johnson, III, President of Coca-Cola Bottling Company (United) presided at meetings as our president. During the year member Frank Taylor was responsible for the speakers, while the Paul Harris Fellowship recognitions were continued from the past year. At the end of Johnson’s year, Past President Ben Brown was elected as a district governor for the year 1977-1978; Crawford Johnson, while our president, had the distinction of claiming the (then) world’s record Rotary commute in conjunction with presiding at our regular Rotary meeting. “One Wednesday morning, after a morning meeting, Crawford Johnson jetted from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Birmingham by commercial air lines to preside at our meeting and then returned by plane to Duluth, Minnesota that evening.” That had to be a Rotary event record, based on a daily commute – at least up to that time.

Birmingham Rotary Club Presidents: Bill Edmonds, Merrill Bradley and

Tom Carruthers As a young 18-year old Phillips High School student, William F. Edmonds won an oratorical contest which was held in Montgomery, Alabama. He was soon invited to speak to our Rotary Club held at the original Tutwiler Hotel. Bill Edmonds was (in the writings of Andrew Kilpatrick, Rotary Club of Birmingham, Legacy of leadership) the “E” in BE&K, a large engineering and construction firm in Birmingham. Bill Edmonds’ father, Henry M. Edmonds, served as Rotary president in 1924-1925 and, as a result, Henry Goodrich had little difficulty in convincing Edmonds to become a member of our club. Bill Edmonds retired from BE&K in 1989 and served as our president in 1990-1991. The hallmark of Bill Edmonds’ Rotary year was said to be “doing things quietly and efficiently behind the scenes, seeking little or no credit.” This was Bill Edmonds. Dr. Merrill N. Bradley was the son of Lee C. Bradley, Jr., a partner with the law firm, Bradley Arant Rose & White. Merrill Bradley took a different course in life than his father by becoming a physician, “maintaining a demanding surgical practice.” Merrill Bradley had attended Princeton and Columbia Medical School. “In 1971 he was president of the Birmingham Academy of Medicine.” Merrill’s advice to presidents of Rotary who would follow him was simply: "Be yourself." That is good advice for all. Thomas N. Carruthers had an interest in Rotary which preceded his membership due in part to a high activity level in Rotary on the part of his father who had been Chancellor of the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tennessee. Tom Carruthers was a managing partner in Bradley Arant Rose & White. He was involved with the state (Alabama) tax reform effort and served as a member of Governor Fob James’ Medicaid Task Force in 1997. Tom was also a special consultant to the President of the University of Alabama. With an informal approach to presiding at Rotary meetings, Tom Carruthers was a consummate leader for Rotary. As a graduate of Princeton and Yale Law School, Rotary was well served by Tom Carruthers as president in 1992-1993. In 2003 Tom received the club’s Spain-Hickman Award.

THE BIRMINGHAM ROTARY CLUB HUGH MORGAN AND BILL FRENCH

You can’t always judge a book by its cover except when you are referring to our club’s past presidents. All our past presidents (and our present leader) were (and are) accomplished and successful at their trades and with their personal community lives prior to taking the helm for Rotary. Hugh J. Morgan, Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee, attended Episcopal High School in Virginia and earned a B.A. Degree from Princeton in 1950. Hugh served on active duty as a U.S. Navy officer and then attended Vanderbilt Law School, graduating in 1956. Initially Hugh was with a law firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee prior to joining Southern Natural Gas in Birmingham, where he enjoyed a “stay” of 26 years. Morgan retired in 1987 as Chairman of Southern Natural Gas and Vice-Chairman of the parent company, Sonat, Inc. He then joined the National Bank of Commerce where he served as chairman. Not a bad cover for Hugh’s book and one that matched everything that Hugh got involved with throughout his life. Hugh Morgan was a dedicated leader of Rotary, and was awarded the Spain-Hickman Distinguished Service Award. Following Hugh Morgan’s term as president of our club, W.W. French, III began his term of 1994-1995. Bill French’s father (William W. French, Jr.) was the leader of our club in 1960-1961; his grandfather, Dr. James Somerville McLester, served in 1938-1939, and later, Bill III’s brother James (Jamie) S. M. French was Birmingham Rotary Club President in 1998-1999. Bill French attended Princeton as well as Harvard Business School, after which he served in the United States Navy. He was president of Moore-Handley Hardware Company. Bill served his community working with the YMCA, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the United Appeal and the Better Business Bureau. He seemed destined to be a member of Rotary with his business success, his community position and his family Rotary involvement. He joined our organization in 1964. He often said he wanted this club to be more than a lunch club, and during his Rotary year, emphasized special involvement and interest in the international aspects of Rotary. In Andy Kilpatrick’ book, Rotary Club of Birmingham – Legacy of Leadership, he wrote that, as the new president, “soon French would launch into some of Rotary’s achievements” for the year. For example our club participated in a program to provide wheelchairs to children in India, helped build an extra wing for an Illinois building for a foster mother who helped raise fifty-five children over a period of fifteen years, and supported national efforts to provide wells in a village in the Dominican Republic. Bill French was and is an active asset to our club. Judging from Bill’s book cover, he fits the perfect mold for Rotary leadership.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM JAMES A. TODD JR. SHEILA S. BLAIR

James A. Todd, Jr. was born in Beckley, West Virginia and later earned a mining engineering degree from West Virginia University. James Todd has had a long and successful business career, initially with E. I. Dupont DeNemours & Company, Atlas Powder Company, United Affiliates Company and its subsidiaries, DalTex Corporation and Broken Arrow Coal. He was the owner of Birmingham Bolt Company and CEO of Birmingham Steel Company. As busy as James Todd was with his business activities, he made time for community service when he joined The Rotary Club of Birmingham. He became president of The Rotary Club of Birmingham in 1995-1996. One of his Rotary accomplishments was personally envisioning and then raising funding for the Rotary Roof Project. The “Roof” project involved providing roof protection for basketball courts at inner-city sport facilities used by city youths. It was designated as a safe and lighted environment for the inner-city residents. One Rotary member said of the project, “It really upset him (James Todd) to drive by kids playing or trying to play basketball on open and unlighted courts.” Rotary Roofs were initially built at four housing projects. James Todd has a long list of accomplishments earning him a lasting legacy in the business community and community service. Sheila S. Blair was the first female president of our club. In 1987 she, Katherine M. McTyeire and Dr. Sara Crews Finley became the first women elected to membership in the Birmingham Rotary Club. They were shortly followed by Maryam B. (Mimi) Head. In Andy Kilpatrick’s Rotary history he wrote that Sheila told him, “people may think the president doesn’t know what’s going on in the audience because of being at the head table.” Sheila stated, “It was quite an experience (to sit) at the head table. I knew who came in late, who left early and who sat with whom.” During Sheila Blair’s Rotary year she focused on improving attendance levels at meetings, providing good programs and asked the membership to provide their thoughts on ways to improve the club as a whole. The Rotary Roof program went into effect during Sheila Blair’s Rotary term. At the suggestion of Birmingham Southern President Neal Berte, Sheila served as executive director of Leadership Birmingham, and later, the Greater Birmingham Foundation. She was also the first woman to be included on the Regions Bank board. Sheila Blair was named both Career Woman of the Year and Birmingham’s Most Influential Woman.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM PAST ROTARY MEMBER – OCTAVUS ROY COHEN

Discussion of our past Rotary leaders will continue next week; however, it may be of interest to take a look back at a very colorful past member of our club – Octavus Roy Cohen. A well-known (at one time) author and actor, Octavus Roy Cohen was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1891. He received his early education at Porter Military Academy, now Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, and then Clemson University (Clemson Agricultural College). Cohen moved to Birmingham, Alabama in his early 20s where he pursued a career in the steel and railroad industry, but soon changed careers after recognizing that he had special writing talents and skills. He worked as a writer for several newspapers including the Birmingham Ledger. By 1912 Cohen had moved back to Charleston and began clerking for his father’s firm in the city. He was admitted to the South Carolina bar and practiced law for a short period of time. In the early 1920s Cohen moved back to our city where he joined Rotary; however his real club allegiance was given to a group of Birmingham selective and prominent writers with the club moniker, "The Loafers Club." The highly respected group began meeting Wednesday nights, usually at Cohen’s house on Seventeenth Avenue, where they worked on plots for their stories. Never more than twelve members (the membership limit), they participated and were successful in authoring many stories that were often sold to publishing companies and magazine publications, one of which was The Saturday Evening Post. The members often worked together on story lines, making changes especially if the story had been rejected by the magazine companies. Local writers Petterson Marzoni, Dr. Charles Nice and Edgar Valentine Smith were also members of The Loafers Club. Octavus Roy Cohen became the most renowned writer in the group, although Petterson Marzoni had a large following. Cohen published over 50 books and stories for stage, radio and film. One popular character in many of Cohen’s books was the “Beau Brummell of Birmingham”. Other popular figures developed by Cohen were Florian Slappey and Detective Jim Hanvey. One of Cohen’s most popular works was The Crimson Alibi. He also was the head of the Department of Contemporary Literature at Birmingham Southern College. Very versatile, Octavus Roy Cohen also acted in three motion pictures. His wife, Inez Lopez, also was a writer. They were a very talented and successful couple. There is no indication what years or for how long Roy Cohen was a member of our Rotary Club; however it is known that he moved to Los Angeles in 1935 to work on various scripts for movies. Cohen died in Los Angeles in 1959, long after the demise of his beloved Loafers Club.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM HARTWELL DAVIS, JR. AND JAMES S.M. FRENCH

Hartwell Davis spent his youth in his home town of Montgomery, Alabama. He later earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University. After receiving his formal education, Hartwell served in the U.S Navy; after which, he began his business career at Exxon U.S.A. Hartwell Davis later became the principal in Metalplate Galvanizing Company and joined our Rotary Club in 1970. Known as “Mr. Attendance” in terms of Rotary while serving as president in 1997-1998, Hartwell made a push for greater involvement of the membership in Rotary matters especially in the area of attendance at weekly meetings. As a result of his efforts, attendance at the meetings grew from 40% to more than 55%. In his own words, "A few people had gotten out of the Rotary habit and we got them back into the Rotary habit in a pleasant way, while not losing a single member." Hartwell also started his term with a procedural change of having the president sit with the speakers and others at the head table rather than being separated by a podium. During Hartwell’s term as president, he supported various Rotary-inspired causes including the support of camps for underprivileged children, providing Christmas gifts to local boarding houses, and continuing the Rotary Roof Program. An equally effective leader of our club, James S. M. French was a member of the quintessence of a Rotary family. Like his brother, W.W. (Bill) French III (1994-1995), his father, W.W. French, Jr. (1960-1961) and his grandfather on his mother’s side, Dr. James Somerville McLester (1938-1939), Jamie French also served this club as president. His year was (1998-1999). Jamie has never strayed from his enthusiasm and support of Rotary. It was during Jamie’s term that Susan Jackson became this club’s Executive Director, a positive move for the club for years to come. She had begun her Rotary work after the first six months of Hartwell Davis’s year. Jamie French was born in Birmingham and later attended Princeton and Harvard Business School and has served on many local boards as well as maintaining a business career at Dunn Construction and Dunn Investment Company. Joining Rotary in 1970, Jamie has often oriented new members in the workings of our club. We are all appreciative of the work that the French and Dunn families have done for Rotary. The Rotary Library, a central fixture in the Harbert Center, is named the Dunn-French Library.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM ROTARY PRESIDENTS DONALD B. SWEENEY, JR. AND BEVERLY P. HEAD, III

One could have predicted that Donald Sweeney would be an exceptional president for Rotary. Donald has been accomplished in every endeavor he has been associated with. Shortly after he was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Donald’s family moved to Birmingham. Donald attended Shades Valley High School where he was an All-State basketball player. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Donald earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. He also attended Amherst College. He is a partner in the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, where he specializes in transportation and labor law and has received national recognition in the field of education law. In 1990 Sweeney was named Birmingham Lawyer of the Year. After joining Rotary in 1988, Donald served in many capacities for the club, becoming president in 1999-2000. He set four main objectives for his Rotary year. From Andrew Kilpatrick’s book, Rotary Club of Birmingham, Legacy of Leadership, “Donald attempted to humanize the introduction at the head table” by “finding something special about the lives and interest of every person introduced.” He wanted to end his year having attended every meeting, and he accomplished just that – perfect attendance. Sweeney’s third objective for the year was to recognize past leaders. Donald suggested the initiation of the Spain-Hickman Award program with Billy Rushton being the first recipient. Donald also wanted to get as many members as possible involved in Rotary projects. It is perhaps conclusive to say that Donald Sweeney’s enthusiasm for Rotary in part came from the fact that his grandfather, E.T. Hallman, served as Rotary Governor for the State of Michigan, the state where Donald and his family have enjoyed many years of summer sailing. Andy Kilpatrick’s write-up on Beverly P. Head, III’s year as Birmingham Rotary president (2000-2001) noted that Bev Head’s special interest and perhaps a major accomplishment of his tenure was boosting Rotary’s international scholarship programs. Bev took special pride in encouraging interest in international scholarships believing that it would be a small step toward world peace. To make the point, Bev remarked, “One highlight of my term was having Rotary International President Frank Devlyn visit us. With worldwide operations, it’s a special occasion for a single club to receive as a guest an international president.’’ It was widely recognized that for years Bev held the record for attending more Rotary International Conventions than any other member in the Birmingham club. Beverly Head was born in Birmingham and earned his BA degree in economics as well as a law degree from Yale. He was a captain in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Iran. Bev served as CEO of Dyatron Corporation, a computer software company, from 1969-1984. He was with the law firm, Miller, Hamilton, Snider & Odom as well as having the position of president of the Hill Ranch (Gainesville, Alabama) where he raised catfish. Bev was proud to serve as an executive assistant to the Mayor of Birmingham. Like Donald Sweeney, Bev Head also had a passion for sailing.

MORE ROTARIANS WHO MADE (AND MAKE) A DIFFERENCE

Sidney W. (‘Sid’) Smyer Jr.’s father, Sid Smyer, Sr., was an attorney and president (director) of Birmingham Reality Company. He was also a state legislator, and the leader who created the Senior Citizens Committee which negotiated a slow-down, and eventually, an end to the mass civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham in the early 1960’s. Sidney W. Smyer, Sr. was also a member of Birmingham’s Rotary Club, joining the organization in 1960. Sid Smyer, Jr., joined our club in 1965 and served as our president in 2001-2002. Sid was known and applauded for his promotion of ‘charitable gift giving’ on the part of the membership to advance Rotary causes. Smyer “came to bat” with his own large contribution to Rotary, a contribution that was both considerable and well served the international club. That gesture earned him a special plaque, which was placed on the wall in the top floor of the Evanston, Illinois Rotary International headquarters. In Sid Smyer’s own words when speaking of his father’s interest in Rotary, “With him in mind I was fortunate enough to make a significant contribution to the Rotary Trust Fund.” At the time of Smyer’s term as president, most of our members were Paul Harris Fellows. On the last day of Sid Smyer’s term as president of our Rotary club, from the podium, he mixed his own “straight up” gin martini and toasted the Rotary membership. We owe a toast to Syd Smyer for a job well done and to having a genuine long time interest in Rotary. It was said (in Andy Kilpatrick’s book, Rotary Club of Birmingham, Legacy of Leadership) that William E. Hull achieved his three major objectives in his term as Rotary president (2002-2003). First, Hull “energized a collaborative effort to get Rotary and other Birmingham clubs involved with the Harbert Center” to collect funding which would go to renovations of the building. Secondly, his book, The Four Way Test, was completed and was to be ultimately published in 2004. The book focuses on the core values of the historical and present Rotary movement and has served as Rotary’s ethical guide for more than half the clubs’ life. Hull was instrumental in making our club, at the time, the second highest contributing Rotary club to the polio programs. Born in Birmingham, William E. Hull earned graduate degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also served as a pastor at First Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana and eventually served as Samford University’s Provost and Research Professor.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM – TWO MORE ROTARY LEADERS

As Rotarians approached Rotary International’s 100th-year celebration, Rotary's president in Birmingham was Charles A. Collat, Sr. In his own words, “My (main) goal during my year as president was to present an opportunity for our club members who have so much to offer and who have given so much, to be able to take an (even more) active part in activities and to encourage them to do so.” Charles Collat was a graduate of the University of Georgia. He joined Mayer Electric Supply Company in 1953, and with his wife, Patsy, later bought a controlling interest in the company. Charles Collat also held positions on many civic and cultural boards in the city including Regions Bank and the Southern Research Institute. He additionally served as president of Temple Emanu-El for three terms. Collat set several goals for his Rotary year (2003-2004). He wanted to entice more members to get involved with the workings of Rotary, increase attendance at Wednesday meetings, institute a new member reception and send the RotaryGrams by e-mail as well as sending hard copies to the membership. He accomplished all of those goals. During Charles Collat’s term as our Rotary president, The Rotaract Club was formed involving younger community leaders in Rotary-type programs and projects. Collat accomplished all his Rotary goals by personally working with enthusiasm on each one of them. In the words of Past Rotary Club President Hugh Morgan, “He (Charles Collat) had a splendid Rotary year.” Another outstanding Rotary leader was Carl E. “Eddie” Miller, III. From Andrew Kilpatrick’s book, Rotary Club of Birmingham Legacy of Leadership, the author states that Miller’s term "was an action-packed year." Rotary celebrated its 100th birthday on February 23, 2005 with former President William Hull introducing former President James Head, himself then 100 years old. Eddie Miller was a graduate of Mountain Brook High School; then attended Samford University, where he was part of the football program for the school. He went on to join Bodine, Inc., an office supply company, where he worked with his father who bought the company in 1972. Eddie eventually became president of the company. Eddie joined Rotary in 1980 and successfully achieved one of his goals – the raising of funds for the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Eddie Miller was known as a multi-faceted club leader who made a big impact on the community through his individual giving and his Rotary work.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF ROTARY – LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN

Every Rotary Club celebrated Rotary’s Centennial year in their own way. Certainly, the celebration in Chicago held on June 18th, 2005 was a very distinctive and impressive event. Rotary International’s 100th year Chicago convention was where the red carpet was rolled out for approximately 42,000 convention registrants representing 161 countries from around the world. Shades Valley Rotarian and Rotary International President, Glenn Estess, presided over many of the convention’s activities. A record attendance in Chicago by Birmingham Rotary members was noted by all. The 100-year recognition date of the formation of Rotary (International) was officially February 23rd, 2005 (the club was founded on February 23rd, 1905). Our (Birmingham) club’s centennial celebration was planned for a date closer to the actual 100-year milestone than the international convention. There was a countdown in the local RotaryGrams leading up to the 2005 100-year milestone date. While it was announced each week that the greatest celebration in Rotary’s history would take place in Chicago, our club also advertised prior to our event, as the RotaryGrams reminded members of our upcoming celebration in Birmingham. The Birmingham Rotary Centennial Dinner was held Saturday, February 12th, 2005 at The Harbert Center. It too was a memorable event. During the year each of our newsletters would also include a “Did You Know?” feature involving Rotary facts. Also there were articles on prominent international Rotarians included in the weekly notices. Fernando Belaurde Terry, President of Peru; Emilio Pucci of the Florence, Italy Rotary Club and Charles R. Walgreen (Walgreens’s Drug Stores) of Chicago, were all given attention in the newsletters. On February 23rd, 2005, our Birmingham Club once again honored Rotary. Mr. Jack Guynn, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, spoke to the club and in the announcement of his talk in the RotaryGram, it noted the special date by saying, “This is Centennial Week in the Rotary world. It was on February 23rd, 1905 that Paul Harris first met with three friends, and from that meeting and ones that followed, has come the oldest, largest and most prestigious non-government service organization in the world.”

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM ONE HUNDRED YEARS’ CELEBRATION OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Not only did our club celebrate Rotary International’s 100-Year birthday by sending a record number of members to that year’s Chicago Rotary Convention, we also undertook several projects here in Birmingham. In addition we conducted our own celebration for Rotary International’s 100 years’ celebration. Our event was held on February 12th, 2005 with a centennial dinner at the Harbert Center. (It should be noted that in 2005 Rotary was actually in its 101st year, but a birthday is a birthday, however you look at it). The centennial year fell in the terms of both Carl E. “Eddie” Miller, III and James F. “Jim” Hughey, Jr. Eddie Miller stepped to the podium at his first meeting of 2004-2005 and received a standing ovation. The tradition of a standing ovation for a president’s first meeting of the year is a long-time one for the Birmingham Rotary Club and other clubs. The ovation is in recognition of the time and the effort a new president will have to commit to his job. Certainly, Eddie’s year was special and he devoted the time and effort in a most effective way. Rotary International President Glenn Estess met with Eddie Miller and Jim Hughey (and others) in Skokie, Illinois in August. President Glenn gave participants a brief overview of Rotary around the world. Jim and Eddie also spoke with Glenn Estess concerning the upcoming project at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The project held at the Botanical Gardens was stationed in the Japanese Gardens. Work to revitalize the area took place in November of 2004. About a dozen Birmingham Rotary Club members and members from the Shades Valley Rotary Club arrived at The Gardens on November 13, gloved and ready to work. After a tour of the Hulsey Woods, the Rotarians proceeded to plant more than 30 plants in the area. They also installed a rock walkway leading to and from the Japanese Ceremonial Bell and Bell Tower. At the club's June 15th, 2005 meeting, visiting Rotarians from the Osaka-Central Rotary Club visited our club on their way to the national convention in Chicago and dedicated the Japanese Ceremonial Bell to the Botanical Gardens and to the Shades Valley Rotary Club. The bell and tower were a gift from several clubs in southeastern Japan in honor of RI President Glenn Estess.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM THE FOUR-WAY TEST

The Great Depression of the 1930’s was a major economic challenge for Rotarians (as well as nearly everyone). Without the proper ethical conduct on the part of Rotarians it could be argued that survival of the organization might not have been possible or would have been more difficult to achieve. A Chicago businessman, Herbert J. Taylor, was asked to take the helm of a near-bankrupt Club Aluminum Company in 1932. The company, founded nine years earlier, was an American cookware manufacturer. With low employee morale, financial distress, and experiencing ruthless competition from other firms, “Taylor used his code of conduct background to draft a 24-word code of conduct that he used to guide all of his daily decisions and discussions” (A Century Of Service – The Story Of Rotary International by David C. Forward). Taylor asked that department heads of Club Aluminum use the same formatted code. Taylor called the code THE FOUR-WAY TEST. The basis for the test was as follows:

1. Is It The Truth?2. Is It Fair To All Concerned?3. Will It Build Goodwill And Better Friendships?4. Will It Be Beneficial To All Concerned?

The company, Club Aluminum, used THE FOUR-WAY TEST with all its employee dealings, customer relationships, dealer involvement and negotiations, and when working with suppliers. As the company (and the general economy) began to improve, Herb Taylor credited THE FOUR-WAY TEST with having a positive impact on Rotary during the Depression. As president of Rotary International, Taylor introduced THE FOUR-WAY TEST to the organization and it was officially adopted in 1943. “The test (or code) has been translated into the languages of more than 100 countries. NASA Astronaut, Buzz Aldrin planted a FOUR-WAY TEST pin on the moon’s surface.” The Club Aluminum Company prospered for many years and was eventually acquired by Regal Ware Worldwide in 1984. As a company entity, it eventually disappeared after other buyouts. As our club’s centennial approached, Birmingham Rotarian William E. Hull provided several talks on THE FOUR-WAY TEST to our and other Rotary clubs. He delivered the talks for more than a decade. In 2004, an updated edition of the test with commentary was written by William Hull. Copies of The Four-Way Test - Core Values of the Rotary Movement were provided to Rotarians at the Centennial Rotary International meeting in Chicago (2005).

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM OFF THE SUBJECT

Sometimes getting off the subject helps to clear the mind. In this case,

this is an attempt to clear your mind (albeit temporarily) from the mass of Rotary

history that has been provided to you over the last couple of years. So to clear

your mind, I present for your reading – Eugene Bournonville and His Very Special

Automobile.

In 1914, Eugene Bournonville, a Belgian who was an American citizen at

the time, was one of the major developers of oxy acetylene welding. Eugene also

helped patent a rotary valve engine with several special features. Bournonville

spent an inordinate amount of time trying to sell his engine design to automobile

manufacturers, but received little interest. He was able to alter the engine

for aircraft at the outbreak of World War I. However, knowing he had come

across a real improvement in the rotary engine design Bournonville began to

promote the unit.

The design of the new engine utilized an adjustable sleeve and shoe which

acted as a seal and replaced the norm in this type of engine. As before the war,

Bournonville tried after the war to create interest in his engine, but he found

little or none. He then decided to build his own automobile utilizing his engine

and, as a result, the Bournonville Motor Company of Hoboken, New Jersey was

founded. He tested his car on a transcontinental test ride and showed the car

at the New York Auto Show in 1921. The car was of high quality and large in

size, designated as a seven-passenger touring vehicle and priced at $6000.

However, like so many of the start-up auto companies, Eugene’s company was

undercapitalized and the car was too expensive to produce and difficult to

sell. They reduced the price in an attempt to garner more sales; however they lost

money on each vehicle they built. The make was discontinued in 1923 and

Bournonville returned to Belgium.

So, why this discussion? It so happens that the name of the first car built

was the Rotarian and soon after building several Rotarians the name was

changed to the Rotary car. Wouldn’t it be fun to know that a past New Jersey

Rotarian owned a Rotarian or Rotary automobile? Well, maybe not so much fun;

but at least now your mind is clear and we can once again revisit Rotary’s history

in the next installment.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM JAMES F. HUGHEY, JR. RUSSELL M. CUNNINGHAM, III

James F. “Jim” Hughey, Jr. was welcomed as the Rotary Club’s (of Birmingham) president on July 6th, 2005. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Jim Hughey attended the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama School of Law and NYU School of Law. Jim accomplished much during his Rotary term of 2005-2006 while displaying his good sense of humor when making announcements, responding to guest speakers, describing various projects, making introductions at the head table and in all of his club activities. Of notable interest, the club continued to support the Rotary International Foundation by contributing $100,000 to aid in the Foundation’s international work. (Thanks to member Bill Ratliff, an additional $100,000 was contributed through a special gift to the RIF designated for polio eradication). Jim began his year incorporating the club’s strategic plan into active missions. “Service above Self” had been adopted as Rotary International’s motto and Jim Hughey took the motto to heart. During this period the club supported various efforts in the Czech Republic made by fellow Rotarian Bill Cabaniss who was serving as U.S. Ambassador. Jim and his wife, Jan, and a delegation from the club traveled to the Czech Republic in support of Bill Cabaniss. Also at the beginning of his term Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast with intense velocity, causing extreme damage to New Orleans and to the Southern U.S. coast. Jim, George Wheelock and a committee made a list of ways to support the hurricane victims. One of the efforts was to provide funding for the rebuilding of a children’s library in Long Beach, Mississippi. President Jim and fellow Rotarian Richard Yeilding helped to get Andy Kilpatrick’s Rotary booklet, “Legacy of Leadership” published. These comments on Jim’s year only brush across the canvas of all of the accomplishments and the leadership that Jim provided this club in his presidential year. One could describe his leadership as the catalyst to motivate and care for those needing help and assistance. Following Jim’s year, Russell M. Cunningham III, took his place at the Rotary podium. As was the case in the previous year, another trip was taken to Prague. This time those traveling were also a delegation of Rotary members. The group met with Bill and Catherine Cabaniss just before they were to complete their Czech post work in Prague and return to Birmingham. President Russell accomplished much during his time at the helm of our club, as he had in his business and civic work. A quote by Thomas Jefferson best describes Russell’s Rotary year of 2006-2007: “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.” Russell had indeed been busy. He served as a Deacon in his church. Russell also served as president of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and worked with the Cahaba Benefits Administrators and Resource Management Services, Inc. He also had served as president of Birmingham Reality. This year’s Signature Project was The Early Learning Initiative, a project that President Russell said, “has gained momentum and is beginning to chart success and meaning in the lives of a few young children.”

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM PRESIDENTS HERBERT A. SKLENAR AND CHARLES WILLIAM JONES

It was said that Herbert A. Sklenar, who took the Rotary helm in 2007-2008, spent countless hours learning all he could about Rotary International, the Rotary Club Of Birmingham and the Rotary Foundation. Herb was the first in his family to attend college and became an outstanding student and athlete, playing basketball for The University of Nebraska in Omaha. His accomplishments there paved the way for an MBA degree at Harvard Business School. During 2006-2009, Herb Sklenar was retired as an executive with Vulcan Materials. The company appreciated his contributions to such a degree that it named a massive cargo ship after him. In terms of Rotary participation, Herb was a leader and was instrumental in bringing speakers in from Vulcan Materials to speak to the club. The first speaker of Sklenar’s year was not a member of the Vulcan team, but Coach Nick Saban, who spoke to the club on July 11, 2007. During President Sklenar’s Rotary year Rotaract sponsored a mayoral forum, where mayoral candidates were invited to the meeting held at WorkPlay downtown. The Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation, lead by Chairman Allen Rushton, met August 15th to review grant requests. The club showed its support for President Herb by providing a special President Herb insert placed in a Rotary mailing. The club was admirably led by Charles William Jones in 2008-2009. Rotary International’s 100th convention was held in Birmingham, England (sister city to Birmingham, Alabama). From June 21st-24th Bill Jones and Walker Jones, among other local Rotarians, attended the historic event. President Bill’s outstanding service and leadership provided a depth of meaning to the Rotary Club of Birmingham. The fact is that Bill Jones has excelled at every endeavor he has been involved with. As president of Rotary, Bill reviewed (by committee) the club’s strategic plan to be able to gauge the stages of the club’s progress relative to its goals. He was especially interested in increasing broader membership participation and ownership. President Bill was successful in term of his goals with a measured increase in membership attendance, with more support for international projects (of Rotary International) and through advancement of the club’s Preschool Learning Initiative. Bill Jones had the ability to harmonize all the elements of a large club. He handled his job with a calm, steady commitment and professionalism while, at the same time, leading the country’s largest metals processing company, O’Neal Industries. Finally, it should be noted that Bill’s father-in-law, Crawford T. Johnson, III, had been president of our club in 1976-1977.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM HATTON C. V. SMITH

To Hatton Smith, it is easy to always be enthusiastic and to extend an armful of energy to any endeavor. Perhaps it is the caffeine (Royal Cup Coffee). Hatton’s family has been in the coffee business for decades. William E. Smith purchased the 54-year old Batterton Coffee Company and the Royal Cup brand (referred to in early years as a "royal cup of coffee") in 1950. Hatton’s natural enthusiasm and passion for positive fellowship was evident in his actions while serving as president of our Rotary Club in 2009-2010. President Hatton would greet each member or guest each week as they exited the Harbert Center escalator entering the weekly meetings. This proved to make a difference in the overall tone of each weekly meeting. Hatton’s “DID YOU KNOW?” and “SERVICE MOMENT” facts allowed each of our members to learn more about their fellow Rotarians. During Hatton’s year, and with the help of Kennon Walthall and Charles Collat, Jr, there were multiple fellowship events, perhaps more than ever in our history. These events included a Rotary/Rotaract Wine Dinner at The Club, a musical program, an offsite meeting at Sloss Furnace, a tour of Old Car Heaven and a special birthday celebration for our most senior member at the time – James A. Head. Also during Hatton’s Rotary year there was a special interaction with the Rotaract Club of Birmingham. In 2009-2010 there was also a heavy emphasis on vocational service. President Hatton, with the leadership of Vice-President of International Services Edgar Marx, successfully raised the funding needed to provide mammography machines to women in Sri Lanka. Wonderful programs filled the year under the leadership of Whit DeBardeleben. During the Rotary Large Club Conference, chaired by Richard Yielding, more than 60 club member volunteers and more than 50 Rotaract member volunteers helped with the programing and served as greeters to the 150 Rotarians and Executive Directors visiting from all over North America. Television journalist and political analyst, Juan Williams, was the keynote speaker. Hatton made sure that the visitors were shown Southern hospitality, arranging for tours of our city. During President Hatton's year the Rotary International Foundation owas supported in the tradition of this club with approximately$100,000 contributed to polio eradication, clean water, health and peace initiatives and ambassadorial scholarships. Hatton lead us through a great year, filled with enthusiasm and much dedicated work, and it was a result of more than just the caffeine; it was Hatton at his best.

THE BIRMINGHAM ROTARY CLUB CHARLES D. PERRY JR. /COUNTDOWN TO ROTARY

CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM’S 100th BIRTHDAY

When Charles (Charlie) D. Perry, Jr. planned for his Rotary year as president, he spoke of not taking

on new projects, merely strengthening the programs that were already in place. This seemed like a good plan

initially; however his year as president (2010-2011) was to be a very unusual year for our club and the city of

Birmingham.

It was April 27th, 2011 when a monstrous and violent EF4 multiple–vortex tornado devastated

neighborhoods in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. It so happened that the Rotary Club was meeting the same day

that the tornados arrived (late in the afternoon). Although late in his year as president, Charlie Perry

immediately found a new calling for his term; there was much our club could and would do for the victims of

the storm.

Charlie and other club members spoke with experts in our community and government officials about

the best way to serve our neighbors in trouble. Jim Hughey, our club’s Foundation Chairman, led the decision

making process regarding allocations; while Albert (Al) Folcher coordinated the club’s role in the planning

effort and execution, and garnered gifts from at least 30 local companies and cultural entities. Volunteers

were asked for help and some of the contributed funding was processed through the Red Cross. The Hands of

Alabama (United Way) was in place also to utilize our volunteers and our contributions of funding were

partially applied to the clean-up process. Rotary Club of Birmingham sponsored a summer camp, Camp South

Hampton (in Pratt City), making it possible for 200 students ages 5-13 to have a safe, fun learning

experience with positive supervising of their summer activities. Rotary Club of Birmingham established an

account – RCB Foundation Tornado Relief Fund – to fill some of the needs of the victims resulting from the

disaster.

It was said that Charlie was the right man at the right time offering his professional manner, generous

humor, sincere kindness and steady attention to club functions. It was also said that he performed his

duties (and more) always with an enduring smile. During President’s Charlie’s year (in addition to reacting to

the tornados) he began shifting the Group Study Exchange to a vocational exchange program of the Rotary

Foundation. Charlie represented the membership of our club at district events, helped the club obtain

approximately $100,000 for the Rotary Foundation, assisted in programs for providing wheelchairs in Haiti,

and provided financial assistance through Children Resources for preschoolers to attend the Pre-K programs.

Under the direction of Rob Couch, wonderful programs with many great personal stories entertained and

further educated our members. The club offered a Rotary trip to Italy and there was a growing interest on the

part of the club in cultural events and the Arts. This was the year we mourned the passing of 106-year old and

former club president James A. Head Sr. Jim Head had been a member of Birmingham’s Rotary Club since

1942 and served as president in 1947-1948.

ROTARY OF BIRMINGHAM’S 100th YEAR CELEBRATION

President Charlie also formed a committee to address what needed to be accomplished for this club’s

100th year celebration. He also formed a history committee. During President Charlie Perry’s year the

countdown to 2013 officially began. On March, 9th, 2011 it was announced that “there are 707 days until the

RCB’s most extraordinary milestone” It was in 2011 that a core committee of Rotarians began the multi-year

planning effort for the club’s 100th anniversary. Besides President Charlie, President-Elect Katherine J.

Nielsen and Whit DeBardeleben had major involvement in the project. Many plans and ideas had to be

reviewed for possible implementation for our club’s 100th celebration.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN

As of July 18th, 2012 there were only 214 days until the Rotary Club of Birmingham’s most extraordinary milestone – The Centennial Event. The official founding date of our club was February 6th, 1913. As Whit DeBardeleben took to the Rotary podium as Rotary’s new president (2012-2013), numerous plans were being developed to celebrate the clubs 100th anniversary. Past Rotarian President Bill Jones chaired The Centennial Project Committee, a committee that included: Mary Boehm, Bart Crawford, Malena Cunningham, Margaret DeBardeleben, Bing Edwards, Jamie French, Brenda Hackney, Betsy Holloway, Duncan Hulsey, Susan Jackson, Philippe Lathrop, Danny Markstein, Edgar Marx and Jon Whetsell. The club’s 2012-2013 Board and officers also supported the committee as well as other Rotary members added throughout the year. At the suggestion of members and the Centennial Project Committee several plans for a major legacy project were proposed. In the end, Bill Jones announced that the members involved had selected by vote taken on July 25th the First Avenue “cut” development for the project. The name of the project would evolve into “The Rotary Centennial Trail in the Magic City”. The Trail was chosen over other suggestions for several reasons. By implementing the trail project it would help in the long-term plan to link Railroad Park with the Sloss Furnace area and would be seen as a part of the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System. In addition it supported the ongoing city revitalization which would prove to be a permanent asset for the city and promote the “Rotary” brand. For the special Rotary year, plans were also made to provide for the club’s weekly meetings speakers who were connected to the city’s and club’s history. There was also to be a concert during the year, special dinners, a celebration meeting with RI President Sakuji Tanaka from Japan, funding projects, partner organizations’ involvement and special attention to the major goal of Rotary International, working towards polio eradication. At the third weekly meeting of President Whit’s term, member George Wheelock informed and entertained members and guests with a brief biography of our club’s founder, Harry Wheelock. With all the planning, Rotary Club of Birmingham’s 100th year celebration was now bound to happen.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM THE 100th YEAR CELEBRATION EVOLVES INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL

As of December 5th, 2012 there were only 63 days left on the calendar until February 6th,

2013 when members and their guests would commemorate the Rotary Club of Birmingham’s

Centennial and celebrate the remarkable journey the club’s membership had

experienced through the years. Plans for the then-upcoming event were announced on a

weekly basis to the club’s members. Richard Yeilding chaired the Celebration Committee and made the announcement on

December 12th, 2012 in regards to the history of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and why that piece

of music was the perfect fit and selection to commemorate an occasion as grand as a centennial

anniversary. A champagne reception was to be held preceding the concert at the Alys

Stephens Center where area Rotarians and guests would participate in the celebration.

Four of Birmingham’s finest restaurants were reserved as venues for Rotarians for an after

the concert dinner. The dining event and celebration were to be held on the actual 100th year

birthdate of Birmingham’s Rotary Club and members were asked to choose the restaurant of

their choice. The restaurant venues were: Highlands, Chez Fon Fon, Bottega and Hot and Hot.

As of January 23rd, 2013, design plans were nearing completion for the Rotary Trail. A 3-D

model of the trail was placed on the screen in the atrium of The Harbert Center and was available

for review by members. The Rotary Trail fulfilled the purpose of the Centennial Committee's desire to implement a centennial project which would focus our efforts on healthy living

opportunities for local citizens, friends and visitors to the city. Thus the Rotary Trail would

transform a submerged railroad eyesore to a green space of interest and beauty to be walked

through, run and cycled through, and a place citizens and others could relax in and enjoy,

hopefully, for the next 100 years.

Prior to the celebration of the 100 year milestone it was announced that 2012-2013

Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka would address the club at the Wednesday weekly

meeting on the date of our actual celebration. Mr. Tanaka was the former chair of the Daika

Company and former president of the National Household Paper Distribution Associates of

Japan. He would honor our Club with his visit and attend other events throughout the

memorable day. This was an exciting time for our club. As of late January 2013, our official

centennial date was "right around the corner."

THE ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM- THE CENTENNIAL YEAR WRAP-UP

After the official celebration date had passed, the Rotary Club of Birmingham continued its special year. The club received a “Proclamation for 100 Years of Service” to the city, delivered by Mayor William Bell. It was officially announced at the February 20th, 2013 meeting that the list of five possible names for the Centennial Project had been reduced to one. The first place name, receiving the highest number of votes, as voted on by Board members and members, was “The Rotary Trail” Project. The 2013 Rotary International Convention was held in Portugal in the city of Lisbon from June 23rd to June 26th. This was the largest business convention ever held in Portugal with participation by roughly 25,000 people. An optional side trip was announced for opportunities to visit other European cities for sightseeing prior to the convention. The cities noted were Porto, Portugal; Madrid, Spain; and Granada, Spain. At a Wednesday meeting Past Rotary President Hatton Smith announced that a special program would be held in the coming days which would highlight a symposium in Birmingham titled, "Lessons From The Birmingham Movement; A Symposium on Youth, Activism and the Struggle For Human Rights." This program was to be held from April 25th to April 27th with venues at the Sixteen Street Baptist Church, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Sheraton Hotel. Members of Rotary were encouraged to participate in the program. There was to be a special offsite Rotary event on April 24th at the Sixteenth Street Church where Juan Williams, a network news anchor, would speak. During the first half of the year, a special survey was distributed to the membership by the Rotary Board of 2013-2014 welcoming comments and suggestions for plans and objectives for the upcoming year. The officers and directors representing the 2013-2014 Rotary year met to work on revisions to the club’s strategic planning that would guide the organization over the years to follow. President Whit and President Elect Eddie Friend presented a fabulous roadmap which would provide solid continuality, sustained strength, significant impact and worthy stewardship for Rotary for the following five years. That was June 5th, 2013. It was at that point that the realization set in among Rotary members that the club’s successful first 100 years was at an end and a productive and accomplished future lay in store for The Rotary Club of Birmingham.