Charter Members
Charter Members – October 27, 1921
On the evening of October 27, 1921, over 100 Rotarians gathered at the Gary Commercial club for a banquet at which the charter for Gary Rotary was presented. Gary Rotary thus became the 1,001 club in Rotary International, preceded by the club in York, England, which was the one thousandth club. Gary became the 50th club in Indiana.
Present for the program were 50 Rotarians from Valparaiso, 52 from Michigan City, 55 from Hammond, four from South Bend, one from Kokomo, and two from Chicago. Twenty-four business and professional men named below were the charter members.
First president and organizer of the club, Charlie Leary, had been a member of the first Rotary Club in Chicago, and had a compelling urge to form a club in Gary after his arrival. Tradition has it that Charlie arranged a delay in granting of the charter so that Gary could be club 1001, the first club of the 2nd 1000 clubs.
The hall was decorated by the wives in an autumnal theme. The band was hidden in a mimic oak forest. Many speeches were given in welcoming Gary to the Rotary organization. Songs were sung in between all of the speeches. In total, those present sang 57 songs; apparently most of them from the blue booklet “Songs for the Rotary Club”
Congratulatory telegrams from Rotary Clubs in Fort Wayne, Shelbyville, Crawfordsville, Decatur, Indianapolis, Logansport, and even the Gary Lions club were read. It apparently was a very boisterous evening and one, which got the Gary club off to a great start.
Charter Members 1921
Louis J. Bailey
Frank R. Cargill
James J. Carroll
Fred J. Cassidy
Charles W. Chase
John P. Churchill
A.B. Dickson
William Earle
Harry C. English
Arthur M. Fisher
William P. Gleason
Henry C. Hay
Albert S. Hess
Henry C. Heuck
Win D. Hunter
Charles M. Leary
H.S. Norton
Ed. A. Ridgely
Peter W. Seyl
J. Ralph Synder
William A. Wirt
Wilber Wynant
C. Webb Yarrington
Verner U. Young