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PRID Dr. Edgar D.(Ted) Gifford

Historians who continue this project
PRID Dr. Edgar D. (Ted) Gifford D.D.S. Honorary Member Charter President Rotary Club of La Grange 1958-"59 District 644 Governor 1964-'65 Director Rotary International 1981-'83.  Joined Rotary Global History Fellowship in February of 2006

Rotary Recognition Awards: Presidential Humanitarian Citation 1981, Service Above Self Award 2003, and District 6450 Spirit of Rotary Award 2003.

He and his wife Caroline are level four Major Donors, Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation, and there is an Endowed Foundation Fund in his name.
Full Rotary Bio PDF file

Also see "Why I am a Rotarian"

(2005 Photo with his wife Caroline)
I am a Rotarian because on August 8, 1958 I telephoned the Rotary International Secretariat in Evanston, Illinois and spoke with Beth Maveety of the Extension Department about the possibility of organizing a Rotary club in La Grange, Illinois U.S.A. Miss Maveety told me she would inform District 644 Governor Mitchel P. Davis of my interest.

I was inspired to make that call because my uncle, a Perth Amboy, New Jersey Rotarian, who had taken me to a meeting of his club in 1949, and my wife Caroline's father and grandfather who had been president of the Manistee, Michigan, and charter member of the Red Creek, New York Rotary clubs respectively.

On September 3rd, 1958 District 644 Extension Chairman Thor Holter, and a former Rotarian and La Grange minister Russell Kerr, met in my dental office. Four weeks later 27 La Grange area business and professional men applied for a Rotary charter.

After Past Rotary President Herbert J. Taylor spoke about "ROTARY PROGRESS WORLDWIDE" at our charter banquet on November 19, 1958 Chesley Perry (Rotary General Secretary 1910-42) addressed our club about Rotary history, and Australian Ambassadorial Scholar Brian Wiseman told us about his country and impressions of the U.S.A. during early weeks of our club's existence which made me realize what enriching and rewarding opportunities Rotary membership provides.

For me it marked the onset of opportunities to assist others in our community, and opened a doorway for worldwide involvement and friendships with service-minded people. Why am I still a Rotarian after 47 years? Why do I continue to attend meetings and participate in other Rotary events?

Because I enjoy the fellowship and good feeling that exists at meetings and other Rotary activities, but beyond that because I consider myself fortunate to be involved in a progressive organization that provides humanitarian services, encourages ethical vocational standards, and promotes goodwill and peace.

Past D6450 District Governors, in 2005, PRID Gifford is third from the left.
 

Founders Day Events 19 July 2004 Crestwood, Illinois, USA  Honoring Paul Harris and Silvester Schiele  Event chair: Ted Gifford
Glenn E. Estess Sr.
2004-05 Rotary International President
 

Founders Day Events

This event recognized the roles that each of the founding members of Rotary contributed to the creation and early development of the Rotary movement. Local organizing clubs, with the approval of the RI president, are responsible for developing the program and handling all logistical aspects of these events.

Contributions to RGHF by Ted Gifford
"Here's more about the interesting story of Dr. Clark Wilder Hawley, the instigator of the initial "hat passing collection" of $150.00 at a 1906 Chicago Rotary Club meeting to provide a young MD with a much needed horse for his home visitations.
Dr. Hawley, the eye and ear specialist, was a graduate of The University of Michigan and Rush Medical School in Chicago, and from 1890 until his death maintained his medical office in Chicago. Prior to purchasing a home for his family and moving to La Grange in 1894, they had resided in a farther west community, Aurora, IL. The home in La Grange which no longer exists was located at 208 S. 7th Avenue. Some of the information about Dr. Hawley was obtained from The La Grange Area Historical Society of which I am a past president.

Another La Grange resident was also one of the original 30 Chicago Rotarians.  He was Robert C. Fletcher who resided at 224 S. Stone Ave., which was just a block and a half from the home in which I grew up, and his youngest of four children Mrs. Clemwell Fletcher Wheeler, was a classmate of mine in grade school and high school, and now resides in Savannah, GA. Mr. Fletcher was an architectural graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and a member of the renown Louis Sullivan architectural firm in Chicago of which Frank Lloyd Wright was also a member, and he was the President of the Lyons Township High School Board when Clemwell and I were students there.

In addition in attendance at the July 19th event (see above) was Mimi Kay Altman Makar, granddaughter of Herbert C. Angster our area's first district governor in 1915.  Her mother was the late Mimi Angster Altman, and was one of the first women to become a Rotarian after women were allowed to join Rotary clubs in 1987.  She served as the president of the Deerfield, IL Club in 1992-'93, and Dist. 6440 Governor in 1995-'96 and she was, like her father Herb Angster, an outstanding motivational Rotary speaker, and served as my keynote speaker at our Zone 27-28 Institute for past, present and future R.I. officers in Omaha, Nebraska in 1981.
Mimi Kay was the 2000-2001 president of the Highland Park-Good Morning, IL. Rotary Club." Ted Gifford

The contents of this website, our electronic features and newsletters have been researched, collected, compiled, and written by Rotarians. RGHF Mission: As an effort to serve others, RGHF accumulates and preserves the complete history, values and philosophy of the Rotary movement, as well as encourages others to do the same at every level of the Rotary movement, and publishes those histories, values and philosophies on the internet, as well as other forms of media as expedient. 17 March 2003, amended 20 December 2007, Rotary Global History Fellowship Board of Directors.

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