In 1913, after some Rotary Clubs had been started in Great Britain, Paul Harris and Ches Perry decided to try a similar effort in France and they sent two 'missionaries' to Paris. The men chosen were Frank Mulholland of Toledo, Ohio PRI 1914/5 and Tom Stephenson of Edinburgh PRIBI 1927/8. However their mission was not successful, and in practice, the first club in France was the Allied Rotary Club which held regular meetings in Paris toward the end of the First World War. This was not really a French club since it catered primarily for the Allied Forces, based in or passing through the city. A second 'mission', Robert Withington of Philadelphia and Elmer Felt of Tacoma, Washington, arrived in Paris in September 1920. There they met a Dutch businessman A.Vonck, and with his help, three more prospects were gathered and on October 21, a further 13.

On February 1, 1921, Vonck was appointed interim President of the new organising committee for the Paris Rotary Club. On July 4, the Paris Rotary Club was officially constituted with 16 members. A distinguished panel of Rotarians attended including PRI Crawford McCullough of Ontario, Canada, 3 Vice Presidents and Ches Perry.

Most of these people and many other visitors who were among a large number of Rotarians who were welcomed to 3 'Festive Days' celebrating the new club's foundation were on their way to the International Convention in Edinburgh. Gabriel Gorce, originally from Toulouse, was elected the club's first President.

Two years later with the help of Fred Teele from RI, the next two clubs were opened in Lyon and Toulouse. Nice, Angers and Vichy followed in 1925 by which time the clubs had become District 49. In 1926, Marseille was added and Rotary in France was a reality. Their high-spot was probably the 1937 Convention held in Nice and attended by the President of the French Republic M Albert Lebrun, escorted by the Republican Horse Guards. Here M Maurice Duperry (photo in the Gallery) was elected President of RI.

During the war, the Nazis banned Rotary meetings although several clubs continued to hold unofficial meetings using fancy names such as 'Ritaro'. On one occasion it is recorded that a former German Rotarian, now a General in the Wehrmacht, attended in Paris, and advised the members to be cautious because they risked their liberty or even their life if the Gestapo discovered their meetings. After the war, the clubs resumed their activities.

This article is adapted from a contribution by Marc Levin of Lyon to the RHHIF Newsletter. We thank the RHHIF for permission to use this. Provided by RGHF senior historian Basil Lewis, UK 9 February 2009 and posted by webmaster Jack Selway