Brief histories of the "First 100" Clubs

Rotary Club of Detroit 16 1910

Rotary International District 6400

Site of the 1934  and the 1950 Conventions of Rotary International

Richard Hedke, Detroit 16, was president of Rotary International in 1946.

President Hedke's home page

Rotary Global History Fellowship Day - award

Detroit Rotary was born at a fire; which fact possibly explains why it has always been such a “hot” club.

One night in the summer of 1910 there was a neighborhood blaze. Jim Gregg went to see it. At the fire he ran across the writer. In his characteristic manner he held the first Rotary meeting in Detroit – although the minutes do not record it.
“Say, Frank,” said Jim, “there’s going to be a meeting tomorrow noon to organize a club. Come over!”

“What’s the name of it?” I asked.

“They call it a Rotary Club. A good scout by the name of Batt from St. Louis was in the store today and told me all about it. He’s coming over too. Bring along any friends – business men who will make good boosters. And don’t forget to be there, it’s a good thing,” added Gregg.

Which all resulted in a luncheon at the Griswold House Café, July 25, 1910, attended by six men, James H. Gregg, Frank J. Campbell, A.R. Cunningham, L.W. Goodenough, J.W. Wright all of Detroit, and Bruno Batt of St. Louis, who told of the Rotary scheme and how the Rotary Club of that city recently had been organized. Article from The Rotarian - 1917

See the delegates to the first convention of Rotary in 1910, in Chicago when the National Association of Rotary Clubs was formed. Detroit was a forming club and was there.

See our delegation at Rotary's 2nd convention in Portland, Oregon, USA in 1911. A rare, early Rotary Global History photo.

Michigan "100" Clubs

Detroit 16

Grand Rapids 77

Saginaw 93