Early History of the Huntington (Ind.) Rotary Club

From a 1931 Club History, author unknown

 

Men may be judged by the purposes for which they organize, and while the personnel of an organization is important—the ideals and purposes are paramount.

 

When Rotary began to achieve national importance as an organization, certain public spirited leaders in Huntington decided that an organization based on friendship, a zeal for public service, and a properly selected personnel would be valuable to the city of Huntington.

 

And so, ‘way back in 1917—just when the idealism of the great war had taken hold of this country—twenty-five men, prominent in the civic life of Huntington, were called together at the old Hotel Huntington on Friday evening, April 13, for the purpose of organizing the present Rotary Club.

 

Frank P. Manley, President of the Indianapolis Life Insurance Company, who was then District Governor of the Eight District of Rotary and Hillis Hackadorn, both of Indianapolis, and Robert Koerber of Fort Wayne were present and assisted in the organization of our club with the following Charter Members and officers:

 

            Charles Arnold                         M.H. Ormsby

            Walter H. Ball                          T. Guy Perfect

            J. Fred Bippus                          Ira B. Potts

            Edwin I. Bowen                        Donald A. Purviance

            Oscar E. Bradley                      William D. Redrup

            Elmer Ward Cole                     Marion B. Stults

            James M. Hicks                        Paul M. Taylor

            John P. Kenower                      Louis G. Trixler

            Isadore L. Marx                       A. L. White

            John Francis Noll                      F. E. Wickenhiser

 

                        Roy J. Gibler                President

                        J. Wallace Caswell       Vice-President

                        Chester B. Williams      Secretary

                        John R. Emley              Treasurer

                        H. E. Rosebrough         Sergeant-at-Arms

 

On May 7, 1917, Robert Koerber of the Fort Wayne Rotary Club presented our club with its charter.  On June 1, 1917, we were affiliated with the International Association of Rotary Clubs and received our Certificate of Membership #300, which placed us in the Eighth District.  Since that time, the districts have been reduced in size, the number being changed to the Eleventh District comprising Indian and Western Illinois.  This was further reduced to Indiana, which today comprises the Twentieth District of Rotary International.  (Ed. note:  Huntington is now in District 6540, covering the northern third of Indiana.)

 

At the time of the organization of our Huntington Rotary Club, there were but 270 Rotary Clubs in the world (together with 20 clubs that had not as yet been affiliated) with a total membership of only 31,100.  Today, there are approximately 3,500 Rotary Clubs with a membership of more than 155,000 men, all a part of the great organization known as Rotary International.  (Ed. note:  In 2003, there are more than 30,000 Rotary Clubs with approximately 1.2 million members.)

 

Our Club was the thirteenth club organized in Indian and it is interesting to note that the other Indiana clubs organized before ours were practically all in larger cities.  They were as follows:

 

Indianapolis  Organized   Feb.  1913   Certificate #   58

Terre Haute       “           Sept.  1913           “           84

Evansville         “            Dec.  1913           “           102

South Bend      “           Jan.    1914           “           105

Fort Wayne      “           Jan.    1915           “           154

Vincennes        “           March 1915           “          151

New Albany      “           June   1915           “           193

Lafayette          “           May    1916           “          222

Decatur            “           Aug.    1916          “           302

Michigan City   “           Oct.    1916           “           257

Richmond        “           Feb.    1917           “           321

Elkhart            “           March  1917            “         323

 

Strangely, the number thirteen seems to play a rather magical part in the annals of the Huntington Rotary Club.  It was organized on Friday, the 13^th day of April—it was the 13^th’ club organized in Indiana—it is the only Indiana club to boast of having one of its members elected to the office of President of Rotary International, and this President was born on the 13^th day of January 1883.  (Ed. note:  This refers to Arthur H. Sapp, who remains the only Hoosier to serve as RI President, 1927-28.)  If there is anything in F8 (sic), then “13” has brought good luck to the Huntington Rotary Club.