William T. Waterman
called the Rotary Club of Davenport Iowa together for the first time on
November 11, 1911. Twenty-eight members met at the Davenport Hotel after
being invited by the two men behind this idea. William Waterman and William
H. (Bill) Harrison had discussed the idea of such a club after Harrison had
visited the club in Des Moines. Later, they met with Founder Paul Harris in
Chicago and picked up more enthusiasm for their efforts. In February 1912,
the club was chartered with 58 charter members by the National Association
of Rotary Clubs, now Rotary International.
Their first service
project was a Christmas party in 1911 at which they hosted 100 needy
children. The next big project that they undertook was the Davenport City
Beautiful Contest in which neighbors were encouraged to improve their
gardens. This early 1913 project was recognized and published in the Lady's
Home Journal and as a result of the publication was copied by many other
cities and many other organizations.
The Club has sponsored
the creation of, or been a partner with another Rotary Club, in extending
nine new clubs. In 1914, the Rotary Clubs of Rock Island and Moline,
Illinois, were started with Davenport sponsorship. In 1915, the Rotary Club
of Iowa City, Iowa was sponsored. In 1920 the Rotary Club of Muscatine Iowa,
in 1939 the Rotary Club of Maquoketa Iowa, in 1950 the Rotary Club of
Burlington Iowa, in 1957 the Rotary Club of Bettendorf Iowa, in 1973 the
Rotary Club of North Scott and in 1985 the club co-sponsored the Iowa Quad
Cities Club with the Bettendorf Rotary Club.
The most notable
achievement in the history of the Club is the establishment of the Rotary
Memorial College Loan and Scholarship fund. This fund was established with a
$2500 donation on May 29, 1922, in memory of the 276 men and women of Scott
County Iowa that gave their lives during World War I. Along with donations
from club members on their birthdays and significant other events, two
donations were received from James and Marguerite Dunn and Walter and Alice
Ackerman. The Fund has now grown to a value of $1.2 million and has made
loans to over 300 students and scholarships to over 50 students.
The current scholarship
is the largest in the Quad City metro area providing one $22,000
scholarships and three more for $10,000 each. Every year there is keen
competition among the very best students in the area.
Captain George Barr, one
of Doolittle's Raiders was a speaker, as was Senator Hubert Humphrey in
1959, former Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy, Arthur
Schlesinger in 1966, Guidance columnist Ann Landers in 1974, Green Bay
Packer Football great Ray Nitschke in 1978 and in 1980 Leon Jaworski, former
Special Prosecutor on Watergate. Vice President George Bush also made a stop
in 1986. These are but a few of the many quality speakers the club has had
the opportunity to host.
Two members of the Club
have been tapped for Knighthood. Sir John Hansen was knighted by King
Christian X of Denmark for outstanding work done by him in providing their
country with food and clothing during the German occupation of Denmark from
1940 to 1945. Sir Bertrand Wetsell was knighted into the Order of the
Knights of Malta by King Peter II of Yugoslavia.
The club has had two men
serve as District Governor, Henry Hook 1973-4 and William M. Brandon in
1936-7. (complete history is at the clubs website)
