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How Rotary really started, in the words of Paul Harris,
Founder of Rotary, recorded on 20 December 1945
 Room
711 was an office in the Unity Building on Dearborn Avenue, in
Chicago, Illinois, USA There a mining engineer, Gus Loehr,
conducted his businesses. As far as history shows, there was never a
Rotary meeting in Room 711. That is, the name Rotary did not come up
at the time four men gathered in Loehr's office on a cold winter
night, Thursday, February 23rd 1905. Also Gus Loehr did not remain
with the group for very long.
As you will read in Paul Harris' 1935 book
"The Founder of Rotary," he had an idea, one he had discussed
with at
least two friends. However, on that Thursday evening, one of
those friends and an early client, Silvester Schiele, had joined
Paul for dinner.
You'll read the
story of
what happened that night and how this casual meeting became an
organization which changed the world, and has the potential still to
bring peace to this planet.
Though the man whose office this is did not remain in
the organization, nor did another guest that night, Silvester became
the first president of the Chicago club and a steadfast Rotarian.
Paul and Silvester were fast friends and became neighbors ...
even
in death.
The office, Room 711, is a symbol, protected and
maintained as the birthplace of Rotary.
Now, you can join Paul, Silvester, Gus, and Hiram as members of the
"711 Club."
Jack Selway, webmaster for Room 711
Founder of
"Rotary Global History"
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