Charter Members
About Our Club
As a lawyer, Paul Harris, started the idea of Rotary in 1905. Seven years later another lawyer experienced Rotary, liked the idea, and brought that idea to his hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa. In 1916 he took part in the formation of the Ottumwa club and became one of its 16 charter members. While Paul Harris is called the founder of the first Rotary Club, Daniel A. Emery is known as the founder of the Ottumwa Club.
It was Monday May 22, 1916 at The Bluebird (a cafe across the street from what is now known as Hotel Ottumwa), where sixteen business and professional men met in a rear room. It was an earnest meeting. There was serious talk about a program to encourage and foster the ideal of service, of the development of friendships, and of high standards in business and professions.
Then the Ottumwa Rotary Club was organized. It was to become No. 233. Not the smallest number of course, but it is a low one when today there are more than 33,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries surrounding the globe.
The 16 Charter Members are:
Harry Blackmar, School Superintendent (First Club Secretary)
Morris Christe, Real Estate
Will Creath, Dentist (First Club President)
Daniel Emery, Building and Loan
Robert Funk, Banker (First Club Treasurer)
Merrill Gilmore, Attorney
Warren Ferguson, Investments
Clarence Harper, Wholesale Hardware
Rev. Will Hengen, Clergyman (First Club Vice President)
George Kerns, Architect
John Mahon, Wholesale Grocer
Henry Mercer, Printer
Henry Merrick, Trust Company
Jack Parks, Druggist
James Powell, Publisher
Roy Stevens, Shoe Retailer