HOME GLOBAL DISTRICTS CLUBS MISSING HISTORIES PAUL HARRIS PEACE
PRESIDENTS CONVENTIONS LIBRARY WOMEN THE ROTARY FOUNDATION COMMENTS PHILOSOPHY
SEARCH RGHF FORUM FACEBOOK JOIN RGHF COMMITTEE RGHF RECENT POSTS
 Rotary's memory since 11 october 2000

See the RI Theme

Post your club/district history now, with RGHF, at
www.historylibrary.org free!
Just open an account, and make history.
Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Become an RGHF Subscribing Member and receive our newsletters
"It is a good source of inspiration in order to bring more people to today's Rotary."
 
 

Animation courtesy RC of Naples North D6960 Florida USA

Herbert J. Taylor, president, Rotary Club of Chicago, 1939-40 and Rotary International 1954-55. He lived from 1893 to 1978. During a business crisis in 1932, he wrote the "Four Way Test," shown below. It was adopted as part of Rotary International in January of 1943.

Taylor's President's Page

 

The Four Way Test

"Four Way Test" around the world

One of our contributor's on the "Test"

 

The simple and straightforward Four Way Test was written by Chicago Rotarian Herbert J Taylor in 1932. It is not necessarily a catechism but rather a purely subjective form of self-analysis. Truth is, of course, relative.

 

The test was primarily written for his bankrupt Club Aluminium Company in 1932. Herb actually gave up his job in ‘packaged groceries; house to house sales’ (his classification in #1 club) in order to join 250 other employees onboard the so-called “sinking ship”. ...Read the entire essay...

Herb was the third child of Frank and Nellie Taylor, born in Pickford, Michigan in 1893. The family were devout Christians and Herb was no exception. He would go on to found the Christian Workers Foundation to develop youth organizations.

After graduating with a BS degree from Northwestern University, Herb worked for the YMCA in France. In 1917, he also joined the Naval Reserve as the USA entered the Great War.

Herb married Gloria Forbich in 1919 and moved to Oklahoma. It was there that he helped found the Rotary Club of Wynnewood. He moved to Chicago in the late '20s and joined Club #1 to which he served by holding almost every office of the Club including the Presidency.
Herb gave the right to use his famous Four Way Test to Rotary International in 1942 and also gave the movement the copyright in 1954 - the year when he himself served as RI President. (1954-55) He retained the rights to use the test for himself, his Club Aluminum Company and the Christian Workers Foundation.

Calum Thomson

Predating this, was an interesting article in the 1925 June issue of The Rotarian, "We all lie like that."

Herb Taylor writes about the "True spirit" of Rotary About the great things that Rotary does and those who recognize it. The Story Behind the Four Way Test, by Darrel Thompson

Four Way Test - Texas Style

 

PDG Dr. Wally Bailey, D5810 recalls his meetings with President Taylor
Examples from the world of Business

Ethics – the Four-Way-Test – and More!

Also see our section at www.peacehistory.org

From the Rotary Club of Jerusalem, Israel

The "Four Way Test" around the world
Le critère des quatre questions :  (From France)
  1. Est-ce conforme à la vérité ?
  2. Est-ce loyal de part et d'autre ?
  3. Est-ce susceptible de stimuler la bonne volonté réciproque et de créer de meilleures relations amicales ?
  4. Est-ce profitable à tous les intéressés?"

De 4 weg test  (From the Netherlands)

·         Is het waar?

·         Is het billijk voor alle betrokkenen?

·         Bevordert het onderling vertrouwen en vriendschap?

·         Komt het alle betrokkenen ten goede?

 

The "Four Way Test" (From Germany)

 Die 4-Fragen-Probe

Bezüglich der Dinge, die wir denken, sagen oder tun:

1. Ist es wahr?

2. Ist es fair für alle Beteiligten?

3. Wird es Freundschaft und guten Willen fördern?

4. Wird es dem Wohl aller Beteiligten dienen?

 

Hindi courtesy of RGHF Executive Vice President Prakash Saraswat 9 June 2011, posted by Jack M. B. Selway
HOME Rotary International Presidents Also see: www.earlyleaders.org HISTORY CALENDAR
1910 - 1925 1926 - 1940 1941 - 1954 1955 -1968 1969-1982 1983 -1996
1997 - 2011 2012 - 2025 HOME CLUBS CONVENTIONS THEMES CURRENT RI THEME
BOARDS OF RI    COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION ARCHIVES OF RIP'S PAUL HARRIS COMMITTEE PRIP THOUGHTS
 
RGHF Home | Disclaimer | Privacy | Usage Agreement | RGHF on Facebook | Subscribe | Join RGHF