The Office of Paul P. Harris, Founder of Rotary
His office has been faithfully re-created at One Rotary Center in Evanston, IL, USA and tours are available daily.
Large photo to right of Lincoln portrait: Shows the yard and home of Paul and Jean Harris on the far south side of Chicago. Jean Harris is shown standing in the garden (although you can't make her out), in which are many small evergreens that were planted by visiting Rotarians as a sign of friendship.
Friends on the wall
During the 42 years that Paul Harris served Rotary he met and made thousands of friends. These walls hold only special memories.
Paul's Love of Lincoln?
It is believed that not only did Paul revere the trait of honesty, but until about the mid-1900s a portrait of Lincoln could be found in many other businesses and organizations to signify to employees, the public and customers that honesty was practiced there. (Especially important for lawyers like Paul, since Abe was one.)
Portraits of Mauri Indians of New Zealand (four in single frame, with two separate portraits below that, to the lower left of the Lincoln portrait). We don't know whether these portraits were presented to Paul on a visit to New Zealand, or if they just reflect a personal interest of his.
-- The Rotary Wheel sculpture on the table beneath Lincoln's portrait: the wheel and the base that supports it are made from dozens of small squares of many kinds of wood. Rotary districts around the world were invited to send a piece of wood indigenous to their countries to RI to be made into this sculpture. Date unknown.
Paul's Desk
Paul Harris' desk was a gift of Rotarians in Australia and has an inlaid Rotary wheel in one corner of the surface.
Other items of interest on the walls of his office include a checkerboard/chessboard from Rotarians in India. Each square depicts a Rotary country at the time, and each of the artful scenes is composed with butterfly wings. There's also a photo of the official convention car used at RI's first convention in 1910. Also on display is a promisory note signed by Victor Hugo, its significance to Paul unknown.
Law Office
Paul Harris and a secretary at his Chicago office in 1918
Paul Harris at the actual desk
Until shortly before his death, in 1947, Paul Harris continued to serve Rotary and to keep in touch with thousands of dear friends all over the world.
(Rotary A/V Department Photos)