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A brief history of the Rotary One |
| Just as it was in the beginning
Paul Harris’ business and social club moved about with their meetings
and that is why he named his club Rotary. Originally, “The Boys”, as
Paul called the members, would meet in each other’s offices on a
rotating basis. Not too long after those first meetings took place in
members’ offices, the meetings evolved to having dinner in a hotel and
the holding of their business meeting took place in one of the hotel’s
rooms Since minutes of the early meetings were not recorded, the early history of the organization was so sketchy that the early history is somewhat contradictory. The first official location of the Rotary Club of Chicago’s office was in a single room at the Sherman House (Where the Illinois State office building is currently located). Their meetings were also held at the Sherman House for the next 61 years. While the Sherman House was the official meeting location over those 61 years it was necessary to move meetings from time to time. Madame Galli’s restaurant, just north of the river, was a long time favorite of “The Boys” especially in the beginning. While many hotels and restaurants were used over the years, the most used outside of the Sherman House was the Morrison Hotel in the middle of the Loop. The demise of the Sherman House was well known but took several years before the doors actually closed. The Rotary offices were the last to move from the Sherman House and that took place in September of 1973 when the offices were moved to the LaSalle Hotel at 10 North Madison. During the next three years only a few of the Club’s meetings had to be held outside of the LaSalle Hotel and one of those meetings was hold on the stage of the theater at 20 North Wacker. In 1976, after the Fleetwood Realty Corporation had purchased the LaSalle Hotel from the world famous Avery Brundage, plans were being made to shut down the hotel and to replace it with a new office building, Once again ROTARY/One was looking for a new home, In October of 1976 ROTARY/One moved into its new offices on the Lobby Floor of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel at 505 North Michigan Avenue. Several of the hotel’s function rooms were available to the Club but most meetings were held in their Grand Ballroom. Even though the Hotel changed names three times (Radisson Hotel in March 1978 and Continental Hotel in November of 984) ROTARY/one remained in their same offices on the Lobby Floor. Luncheon meetings also remained at the same location except for a six-month period when the luncheon meetings were moved to the Holiday Inn atop the Fashion Mart on the Chicago River. The Continental Hotel on a moments notice had increased the luncheon costs to the Rotary Club and ROTARY/One did not accept the increase and moved the luncheon meetings to the Holiday Inn. The Club’s luncheon meetings were moved back to the Continental Hotel after six months because the Hotel made several concessions, one of which was putting the price of the luncheon meetings back to the original price before the increase. Once again ROTARY/One was forced to find new offices and meeting place because the Continental Hotel was closing down to be renovated and become the Intercontinental Hotel. After having considered numerous offers, ROTARY/One moved their offices and meeting place to the Chicago Athletic Association in December of 1986. The offices were first located on the 6 floor and later were moved to the location on the 5 floor. ROTARY/One moved to the Union League Club at 65 W. Jackson Blvd. July 1, 2005 and currently has all meetings there, commencing at 12:10 P.M. every Tuesday. No matter where the Rotary Club of Chicago has hung out its sign, Rotarians from around the world have beaten a path to its ROTARY/One Door. |
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