Paul Percy Harris (April 19, 1868–January 27, 1947) was a Chicago, Illinois, attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, a service organization with more than one million members worldwide.

Harris was born in Racine, Wisconsin, but grew up in Vermont. He attended Princeton University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Iowa. For the next five years, he worked odd jobs for the newspaper, as a salesman, on fruit farms, as an actor, and on cattle ships that traveled to Europe.

He began his law practice in 1896. Harris organized Rotary "in fellowship and friendship" with three clients, Silvester Schele, Gustavus Loehr, and Henry Ruggles. By the time of his death at the age of seventy-nine, the club had grown to more than 200,000 members in 75 countries. The club is dedicated to "service above self".

In his honor, the Rotary Clubs of Oakville combine to recognise deserving members of the Oakville community as Paul Harris Fellows.  These are individuals who meets high professional and personal standards set by our founder. Every year these fellows are honored at a gala dinner.

To download a list of recipients of this award...CLICK HERE