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The Paul Harris Gallery |
| AWARDS |
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During his lifetime, Paul Harris received many awards. A small display case on the East wall of the Gallery contains 15* of these, many presented in 1936 during his tour of Latin America. A Display Case made of wood and glass. In most cases there are notations printed on gold colored cardboard "Awards to Paul P. Harris Founder of Rotary".  |
Row 1-1 Order Of
The Sun, Peru, 1936. |
| This award was presented by Dr Carlos Concho Minister of Public Works in Lima during Paul Harris' visit there in 1936 |
Row 1-2 Silver Buffalo
Token, Boy Scouts of America, 1934 |
| Presented to Paul Harris by Walter W. Head, President of the Boy Scouts of America in June 1934 at the Rotary Convention held in Detroit. In his speech, Head told the Convention that "No man has accomplished more distinguished service to boyhood than Paul Harris. He has set a new standard in professional attitudes and ethics which translates into selfless service for anyone, however humble, who is in need." A completely different "Walter D. Head" became President of RI in 1939. |
Row 1-3 From (old)
15th District Conference 1929 |
| "To Paul Harris, President Emeritus, May, 1929, from (old) 15th District Conference". District 15 included the states of Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota, as well as Western Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. |
Row 1-4 The Extra Mile
Medallion 1942 |
| This award was presented to Paul Harris by the National Society for Crippled Children of U.S.A. in 1942. Paul Harris was the first Chairman of the Board of this organisation in 1922 and later of the International Society which followed it. Both Paul and Jean held various offices in the Society and throughout their lives supported it. |
*Row 1-5 "Lost Award"  |
| This medal found in the photo of the awards frame in the 1947 Harris book "My Road to Rotary", page 257, is unidentified and missing from the present frame. (In 1947, when the book was published, there were 16 awards in the frame.) |
Row 1-6 Heraldic Order
of Christopher Colon, Dominican Republic, 1944  |
| The 35th Rotary Convention was held in Chicago in 1944. When Paul Harris stepped forward to speak, he found to his surprise that the President of the Rotary Club of Ciudad Trujillo in Dominica was on stage to decorate him with this award on behalf of his nation's President. |
Row 2-1 Award by the
State University of Iowa. 1943 |
| "For attendance at the 50th anniversary of graduation, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa". In 1890 Paul Harris enrolled in the Iowa State University's Law School. He graduated in 1893. At the re-union of graduates 50 years later, this medal was presented. |
Row 2-2 Order Of
Merit, Ecuador, 1934 |
| This award by the Ecuadorean government was presented to Paul Harris at a luncheon in Guayaquil in 1936 during his tour of South America |
Row 2-3 Chicago Merit
Award for Distinguished Service  |
| "To Paul P. Harris, the Founder of Rotary, for 41 years an eminent exponent of tolerance, international understanding, good will and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional men united in the ideal of service. June the eleventh, 1946". This award by the Chicago Rotary Club was first given in 1931. It was designed to honour any citizen of the city who had rendered distinguished service locally, nationally or internationally . It was not until 1946 that this, the highest tribute the Rotary Club of Chicago could bestow, was awarded to Paul Harris. It was to be the last award of his life. |
Row 2-4 Order of
Merit, Chile, 1936 |
| At the First Regional Conference of Rotary Clubs in South America held at Valparaiso, Chile, in 1936, the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs presented Paul Harris with this Order. |
Row 2-5 Award by the
Rotary Club of Santiago, Chile, 1945
 |
| In 1945 Carlos Hoerning of Santiago became a Director of R.I. Since Paul Harris was not in Chile at this time, it is likely that this award commemorates either the 20th anniversary of the chartering of the Santiago Club or the 40th anniversary of Rotary itself or the appointment of a club member as an RI Director. |
Row 3-1 Distinguished
Service Medal Award |
| Distinguished Service
Medal Award from Rotary Club of New York, U.S.A., on the occasion of the
25th anniversary of the club. "To Paul P. Harris, 1934. The Gift Returns
to the Giver". Paul Harris spoke at this anniversary meeting of the New York Club in 1934 and to their great pride, designated it 'The Host Club of America'. The award was first given in 1923 and other recipients include Thomas Edison in 1930, Helen Keller in 1956, Herbert Hoover in 1958 and Cardinal Spellman in 1961. |
Row 3-2 Order of the
Southern Cross, Brazil, 1936 |
| At the end of his South American tour in 1936, Paul Harris was presented in Rio de Janeiro with this Order, in civic recognition of his and Rotary's contribution to welfare in Brazil. |
Row 3-3 Rotary Club of
Osaka |
| "To Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary, with affectionate greetings from the Rotary Club of Osaka, Japan, June, 1930". This medal was also presented to General Secretary Ches Perry, also in 1930. |
Row 3-4 Officer of
Legion of Honor, France, 1937
 |
| In June 1937, returning from the Convention in Nice, Harris and three other Rotarians were invested with the Legion d'Honneur by Albert Lebrun, the President of France. This took place at a meeting convened by the Rotary Club of Paris to welcome back the newly elected President of Rotary International, Maurice Duperrey, himself a member of the Paris Club. |
Row 3-5 Award. Member,
Bar Association of Lima, Peru, 1936 |
| During their visit to South America in 1936, the Harrises spent some time in Lima in Peru where Paul received Honorary Membership of the Peruvian Bar Association. |
| This ongoing project
is the work of RGHF historian
Basil Lewis, first posted 7 April 2006. After you see the museum office, meet his partners and office workers at Harris Dodds & Brown. (A page of photographs of the actual office in the early 2000's) |
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