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This photograph (below) was captioned in the 'Fellowship History Library' in the '1940 Scrapbook' with the names of the four occupants.  They were:    John Binton at the wheel, 'Doc' Neff beside him. In the back seat are A.M. Ramsay and Pete Powers.

 

The full caption reads 'Official car and a beauty it was- at the first Rotary Convention, held in Chicago, Aug 1910'.

 

It is interesting to note that the car is a right hand drive car but perhaps all American cars (if it is an American car) were right hand drives when it was manufactured.

 

Of the 4 occupants named.....

 

John Binton is believed to have been an early member of the Chicago Club who left the club early.  Any further information on him would be gratefully received.

 

Dr Will R Neff (Doc), a dentist by profession, appears as one of the original members of Rotary One in 1905 (See 1905 Chicago Club Roster). He was still a member of Chicago One in 1920 and is pictured on the same webpage. There is also a group photograph from The Rotarian dated May1924 that states that he was secretary or financial secretary of Rotary One for 13 years.   In an Article in the Rotarian of March 1952 (shown in RHF) by Harris (Harry) Ruggles entitled 'Paul Harris as I knew him',  it is stated "that Doc slaved for Rotary more than 15 years day and night as Financial Secretary".  A photograph of him also appears on page 93 of the book 'A Century of Service'  (Forward) taken at the 25th Anniversary Convention in Chicago that shows Doc Neff.

 

A. M. Ramsay was President of Rotary One for 1910/1911 (see photograph of Chicago Past Presidents 1905-1920).  He also appears in a photograph of the 'Class of 1908 'and is also referred to in the Article entitled 'Twenty-five years in Rotary'.

 

Ramsay is also mentioned in the Article in the Rotarian of March 1952 by Ruggles entitled 'Paul Harris as I knew him'. It also explains how he acquired his nickname of Red. There are several references to Ramsay in David Forward's Centennial book with the last page also showing him in a group photograph taken in 1920

 

Pete Powers

Powers is also mentioned in the Article in the Rotarian of March 1952 by Ruggles entitled 'Paul Harris as I knew him'. It says "Pete Powers had been on the stage and livened our (Chicago One) meetings with fun" and "Pete was a good running mate (to Will R Neff)". There are other references to Powers in the same article.

 

With many thanks to PDG Ian Campbell who provided the above information.

Posted for RGHF Senior Historian Basil Lewis, UK, 19 May 2007

 

Also found on in the archives of the Paul Harris Study, recreated at RI headquarters

 

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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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