Paul Percy Harris
Paul Percy Harris (born April 19, 1868 in Racine (Wisconsin) , † January 27, 1947 in Chicago ) was an American lawyer and one of the founders of the Rotary Club .
Life
Harris studied law and graduated from the University of Iowa. He then worked in a wide variety of professions and made extensive trips to Europe before settling in Chicago in 1896 to open a law firm. There he met the coal merchant Silvester Schiele, the mining engineer Gustavus Loehr and the master tailor Hiram Shorey. Together with them he founded the first Rotary club on February 23, 1905 as a place of gathering and friendship.
The club idea quickly found acceptance. Just a few years later, in 1908, the second club was founded in San Francisco . By 1911 there were 16 associations that merged to form the National Association of Rotary . This was renamed Rotary International in 1912 , with offices in Canada and Europe. When Paul Harris died on January 27, 1947, his casual meeting with three friends had grown into a community of over 6,000 clubs on four continents.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Harris, Paul Percy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American founder of the Rotary Club |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 19, 1868 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Racine, Wisconsin |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 27, 1947 |
| Place of death | Chicago |