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The Secretariat |
| A Brief History • Harris writes about CRP • Harris from 1935 Book • The Rotary Life of Perry 2005 • CRP: Philosophy of Rotary • 1929 "Word to District Governors" From Ches Perry • President Greiner on CRP • CRP memory of Paul Harris • Tea Service • Retirement • Collection of Memorabilia • CRP's Headquarters Tour • The Voice of Ches Perry • A Disagreement in 1913 • Salt Lake City Connection • Photos and Memorial • Ted Gifford remembers Perry • Named Secretary Emeritus and declines the honor • The other Ches Perry • Speech to D644 in 1959 • Article by Perry in a 1980 Rotarian |
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Without several circumstances, none of us would enjoy the privilege of
service in Rotary. What Paul Harris called "The Doorway to Friendship."
One of those circumstances was the childhood of Harris himself, much
covered in this website and in Harris' writings however, it's likely
that little would have come of it except a few "business" clubs had it
not been for the exceptional dedication of a man from the Chicago
Library system by the name of Chesley R. Perry, a
veteran of the Spanish
American War. "Rotary Global History" team has combined their efforts to find and display information, some never seen before about the man Paul Harris called "The Builder of Rotary." There is a brief history of C. R. Perry along with his family background and that of his partner and fellow Chicago Rotarian, longtime RI Treasurer Rufus Chapin. Perhaps the best history of "Ches" is the one written by the third president of Rotary, Russell Greiner, in 1914. You'll learn that Perry "never saw the inside of a school room until he was 15," but gained an education quickly and went to work in the Chicago Public Library system. By the end of the century he was fighting in Cuba in the Spanish American War. His good friend from that era, Wes King returned to Salt Lake City and later was instrumental in that city's Rotary Club. There is much to discover about this tireless worker. How Paul Harris secured his loyal service and therefore saved Rotary's future. The single disagreement, that we know of, between Harris and Perry. Perry "ran" Rotary through 32 presidents of Rotary international, during two world wars, countless conventions, meetings, trips and crisis. He shaped Rotary and steered it. When he retired, all of the living presidents praised his work. A very humble man, he did not attend the final convention when he retired, not wanting to interfere with the incoming general secretary, Philip Lovejoy. Paul Harris was the architect and founder of Rotary and Perry was the builder. The two worked together from 1910 until Perry's retirement in 1942. Yet, by Harris' words, the two never socialized, never had dinner together, were never "pals" in any sense of the word. Perhaps, for the purpose of this "archive" of history, Perry's article on "THE QUESTION OF PLAGIARISM IN ROTARY" is one of his most important statements. Ches Perry, later a president of the Rotary Club of Chicago, is someone we all should study and from whom we can all learn. |
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