Harris Friends

Friendship was the most important part of Paul's life. Friendship with all life, and this house still has that spirit of friendship, passed down from Grandfather Howard Harris to the Founder, to us today.

We've also included some Rotary History which occurred at Comely Bank.
JEAN SERVING TEA IN THEIR SUNROOM

 "Queen of the fireside and the tea table at "Comely Bank" is my lady Jean and the thought often comes to me that her steadfast devotion to duty was not excelled even by grandmother. I am indeed a fortunate man; of that I am sure and this is the very place and this is the very hour for reverie even thought lady Jean maintains that my reveries far too frequently are preludes to cat naps and my cat naps preludes to slumber outright." Paul Harris 

 PAUL AND HIS "BOYS" AGREE
PAUL, SYLVESTER SCHIELE AND CHES PERRY IN THE SUN ROOM PAUL OFFERS FRIENDSHIP WHEN AND WHERE NEEDED MOST PAUL AND SYLVESTER SCHIELE IN THE LIVING ROOM ENTERTAINING A YOUNG SERVICE MAN ENTERTAINING A YOUNG SERVICE MAN

"May Rotarians continue to be ambassadors of good-will to high and low, rich and poor, to all races, to the devotees of all religious faiths and to members of all political parties, purveyors of tolerance, forbearance, justice, kindliness, neighborliness and friendliness to the inhabitants of this snug little world, the best little world of which we know." Paul P. Harris, "This Rotarian Age," 1935, page 257
ENTERTAINING A YOUNG SERVICE MAN ENTERTAINING A YOUNG SERVICE MAN PAUL DICTATES A LETTER AT HOME A ROTARY LUNCHEON AT COMELY BANK FRIENDS ON THE PORCH
'SNOW TIME FOR CHILD'S PLAY "'Comely Bank' where Paul and Jean lived for 35 years in suburban Chicago. On the right Paul cares for his bird friends while neighbor (Rotary's first president) Silvester Schiele looks on." Photo and text from "My Road to Rotary" by Paul P. Harris, 1947 FEEDING THE BIRDS PAUL FILLING HIS BIRD FEEDER WHILE A YOUNG ADMIRER WATCHES HIM
PAUL BIRD WATCHING WITH A FELLOW ROTARIAN OBSERVING HIM CHES PERRY-THE BUILDER OF ROTARY PAUL SITTING IN FRONT OF THE FIREPLACE IN HIS LIVING ROOM PAUL AND CHES PERRY IN THE LIVING ROOM JEAN ENTERTAINS

 

Comely Bank Rotary History:

AMSTERDAM

The Amsterdam Club owes its origin to two Dutchmen who had both experienced Rotary in the United States.  During the first World War when Holland was neutral, Jan van Tyen who had been living in the U.S.A. for some years, became a member of the RC of Port Arthur, Texas. Whilst he was there, he received a written request signed by Ches Perry at the Rotary HQ in Chicago, to ask if he could help take Rotary to The Netherlands.

About the same time, another Dutchman, Anton Verkade on a business trip in 1919, visited some American Rotary Clubs among them the Seymour Club of Indiana.  During this visit, he went to Chicago and there was entertained at Comely Bank by Paul Harris, who urged him to try to start a Dutch Rotary Club.

AUSTRALIA

Strangely perhaps, the years of World War One were a time of growth for Rotary. In 1914, only Britain and Canada were immediately affected by hostilities, and later, in April 1917, the United States.  When the war ended, British Rotary had grown from 9 clubs to 22.  In North America there were similar increases.  The formation of the B.A.R.C. in May 1914 probably helped  to unify and keep strong the existing clubs, and help too in the formation of new ones despite the war.   One side effect of the outbreak of the war was the delay in spreading Rotary to Europe and beyond, especially to Australia. Walter Drummond from Melbourne had spoken to Paul Harris in Comely Bank, Chicago, about the possibility of starting Rotary Clubs in Australia but this had to wait till 1921.  Another effect of the war was to isolate British Rotary from the North American organisation and in particular, attendance at Conventions.   In fact, a handful of  British Rotarians did manage to attend,  among them the comedian, Reg Knowles of the London club who went to Atlanta, and  Thomas Stephenson and Andrew Home Morton who went to Kansas City in 1918..

Walter Drummond was an Australian architect who visited the Rotary Club of Chicago in December 1913 while on a visit to that city.  While there, he asked Chesley Perry whether a Rotary Club could be set up in Australia.  Perry took him out to Comely Bank to see Paul and Jean Harris at their home and they were all very excited about the idea. Drummond visited the Harrises again later in 1914 to discuss the proposal, before returning home to Melbourne. 

OBITUARY FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

 

Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary International, and it's president emeritus, died yesterday in his home, Comely Bank, at 10856 Longwood dr.  He was 79, and had been in failing health in recent years. He was a lawyer in private life.

    Mr. Harris founded Rotary in 1905, and since then had seen it grow from single club with a few members in Chicago to 5,638 clubs in 75 countries with more than 259,000 members.

The Home 1943 "Rotarian" Visit Paul & Jean Friends Gardens Rotary Room