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At 5:12:06 A.M. on April 18, 1906, an earthquake
shook the vibrant, former gold-rush community of San Francisco. The
terror lasted for 40 seconds, according to the club's history "75
Years in San Francisco."
The story of how this city picked itself up is one
for the ages. Then the story of the
birth of Rotary in San Francisco just two years later was
momentous for tiny Rotary.
Paul P. Harris, a Chicago attorney, who started a
club called "Rotary" in 1905, had worked in San Francisco in
1891.
His record of that is found on page 42 of "The Founder of Rotary,"
which can be read only in rarely found books or at this project.
Before starting a law practice in Chicago, Harris
traveled the US and shipped out twice to Europe over a five year
period. In San Francisco he worked for The San Francisco
Chronicle.
In 1935, Harris recorded the historic meeting with
his former Chicago friend and roommate Manuel Munoz and San
Francisco Attorney Homer Wood.
(See comments on page 77 "This Rotarian Age.") Harris had asked Munoz to look
for an opportunity to start a second club while he was traveling on
business.
This section of our project is dedicated to the
second club of Rotary, from which all the early clubs on the West
Coast were born. You'll learn the stories of their
early presidents,
the historic conventions, the
history of the club, the
founder of SF#2, and a
controversy
involving a few SF Rotarians.
Also see the history of
Rotary Districts
Jack Selway,
Former member: Rotary Club of San Francisco #2
Chairman Emeritus and Founder
Rotary Global History
Speech by 1992 Past RI President
Cliff Dochterman at the Club's 100
Year celebrations.
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