Historic Moments -- Collecting History

By Susan Hanf
Rotary International News – 16 December 2011

A portion of a 4-foot-wide panoramic image donated by the Rotary Club of Rapid City Rushmore, South Dakota, USA, shows Rotarians in front of the First Baptist Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, during a 1928 conference. Rotary Images

From Paul Harris's typewriter to the shillelagh used – albeit symbolically – to keep order at RI conventions, the Rotary Archives is filled with one-of-a-kind artifacts, photographs, and documents.

Generous contributions from clubs and individuals have created a valuable collection that chronicles more than 100 years of Service Above Self.

Donations have included letters written by Paul Harris, sheet music for songs about Rotary, and scrapbooks documenting club and district activities.

The Rotary Club of Rapid City Rushmore, South Dakota, USA, donated three photographic panoramas from the 1920s. Among them is a photo taken during the 1926 RI Convention in Denver, Colorado, that is more than 4 feet wide.

Luis Casero Guillén, who served two terms as president of the Rotary Club of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, in the 1930s, documented his family life and Rotary activities in 29 scrapbooks. After his death, his family donated sections of the scrapbooks that illustrated club and district events through the 1950s.

These kinds of donations were added to Rotary’s archives because they provide information about areas of interest that were not well represented in the collection.

The archives also keeps documentation of RI Board decisions and publications produced by Rotary International, including The Rotarian and convention proceedings.

Have a Rotary treasure hiding in your attic that you'd like to donate? Contact Rotary History and Archives at history@rotary.org. Early convention materials, papers from past RI presidents, and many other items help tell Rotary's story. In anticipation of Interact's 50th anniversary in 2012, the Rotary Archives is especially interested in artifacts, documents, and photographs related to the early history of the program.

For more information:

See Rotary History and Archives.
Read "How to Save It Before It’s History" in the The Rotarian.
Browse other Historic Moments.
Learn about Rotary in Cuba.

5 Comments:

At 9:31AM on 19 December 2011, Severino M. Flores wrote: Please feature history of Rotary in Asia

At 9:31AM on 19 December 2011, Rajvir singh wrote: determination towards goal should be the attitude of each rotarian

At 9:29AM on 19 December 2011, Graciela Casero wrote: I am one of the five daughters of Luis Casero Guillén. I want to thank everyone involved in putting together this article which has bring a lot of emotions, memories, smiles and tears. Graciela Casero

At 9:29AM on 19 December 2011, rtn Ernie Russell wrote: I notice that you do not mention the Joseph Caulder Collection and web site. I find it quite facinating and in the three months I have been able to read parts of it it has realy improved my Rotary knowledge

At 9:25AM on 19 December 2011, Wendy Casero Stelling wrote: On behalf of my beloved father, Luis Casero Guillén, my family and many friends from Cuba, I wish to thank your magazine for your article about the RI in Cuba during the pre-Castro years. During that time, my father, as well as many other generous men and women who donated their personal and professional experience, selflessly and openhandedly contributed with their time, their efforts and their wealth to improve the lives of needy Cuban children and their families. Thank you again and may God bless you all. Wendy Casero Stelling

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