1914 Houston

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5th Convention, Houston, TX - June 22-26 with 1,288 in attendance

Until the Houston convention in 1914, Rotary had celebrated all its conventions in August. After the convention in Buffalo, 18-21 August 1913, the dates of the Houston convention were changed to 22-26 June 1914. Subsequently, the conventions of San Francisco (1915) and Cincinnati (1916) were celebrated in July. At that point, Rotary established a tradition, programming the convention for a date near the end of the Rotary year, in May or June.

Although the present practice to identify the salient president of Rotary International with the convention that is celebrated at the end of his or her year of office, does not necessarily apply to the conventions celebrated during the term of office of Frank L. Mulholland, 1914-15. He was chosen by the delegates of the Houston convention, and he participated in the convention of San Francisco, 18-23 July 1915. Russell Greiner, 1913-14, and Arch Klumph, 1916-17, celebrated two conventions during their terms in office; they shared these conventions with their predecessors and successors.

Russell Greiner of Kansas City #13

President Greiner's home page

President Greiner tells the story of Rotary's first secretary Ches Perry

President Greiner's "Confessions of a Rotary Politician"

The obituary of PRIP Ray Havens (1922-23) by President Russ Greiner 1913-14

Rotary International, Delegate Fifth Annual Convention I.A.R.C., Houston, Texas, June 22-26 1914 (Mfg by Greenduck Co., Chicago) Wolfgang Ziegler

110 Clubs were represented by delegates. Outgoing President Greiner received a telegram from President (and honorary Rotarian) Woodrow Wilson who hoped that the Convention "may bring just the encouragement and the assurance of results which its members…hoped for."

In his report, Greiner stated, "Feeling that we are not familiar with local conditions in Great Britain and Ireland, I strongly favored the forming of an association of the clubs of that country." The unique British Association of Rotary Clubs was organized on October 30th 1913 - with the positive approval of the International Association of Rotary Clubs, it seems.

Incoming President Frank L Mulholland took up the challenge at Houston. Mulholland was born in 1875 in Disco, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1899 with a Law degree.

Mulholland became a lawyer in Toledo, Ohio and was a Past President of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce as well as Past President of the Toledo Rotary Club.

Secretary Perry

warned of the damage to Rotary's image from light hearted mimicry. One club had published an article in its club magazine where it had claimed Rotary was started from a game of Pinochle in a Chicago saloon between a butcher, a showman and a shoemaker. This 'joke' did not amuse Ches Perry!

Doug Rudman & Calum Thomson

Harris was ill and did not attend, but sent a message to the convention

Call me by my first name: The president of Rotary Club of Oakland #3, Tom Bridges, stood up to make a stirring appeal that henceforth Rotarians should call one another by their first names. Though the Chicago club had been using first names, it was not the custom of the time, and it was the motion by Tom Bridges that made the use of first names in Rotary systematic worldwide. - It became Rotary custom from that day forward. (also see Tenets of Rotary Tenets & Symbols)

Rotary Ann was from Philadelphia:

22-26 June 1914 and 1,288 Rotarians make the long journey to Houston, TX, USA Rotarian Henry Brunier of San Francisco and his wife "Ann" boarded a special train for the convention. Since Ann was the only woman on the train for most of the trip the other Rotarians began calling her "Rotary Ann". In Houston the Bruniers met Guy and Ann Gundaker of Philadelphia. and soon the name "Rotary Ann" belonged to Guy's wife as well. The term "Rotary Ann" lasted until the late 1980's. Gundaker was RIP 1923-24. "Bru" Brunier of San Francisco, was RIP in 1952-53.

(see Rotary Timeline)