Muncie Rotary Club records

Rotary International, the world association of Rotary Clubs, was founded in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, a Chicago lawyer. Local clubs are comprised of community leaders in a variety of businesses and professions. The name Rotary came from an early practice of members meeting in rotation at their places of business. Rotary International Members participate in a variety of projects and activities that provide humanitarian services and promote good will and peace around the world, including scholarship and immunization campaigns in developing countries. In the late 1980's Rotary International ended its policy of refusing women for membership. Today, Rotary International has over one million members in 22,000 clubs in 150 countries. Its current headquarters is in Evanston, Illinois.

The Muncie Rotary Club was founded on July 13, 1917, by a group of twenty-one prominent local businessmen. This first Meeting took place at the Kirby Hotel. J. Lloyd Kimbrough, an executive with the Indiana Bridge Works, was elected the first president of the club.

The Muncie Rotary Club has stressed that the greatest good for the community could be accomplished through individual participation in community projects rather than exclusive Rotary functions. They have encouraged each Rotarian to carry his share of the community load... “Service as a responsibility and a privilege.” Since the 1920s, the Muncie Rotarians have also supported a student loan fund that had assisted many students in covering the costs of education.

In addition to community service, six local members have been elected as district governors. In July 1992, the Muncie Rotary Club celebrated its 75th year of serving the Muncie community with a variety of activities, culminating in an anniversary dinner at the Horizon Convention Center.