History

On February 23, 1905, Paul Harris formed the first Rotary Club with three others in Chicago. These founders recognized the need for an organization designed to serve others. Business and professional leaders were attracted to the Rotary ideals and clubs grew across the world. In 1916, seventeen Johnson City leaders met with District Governor Jim Allen at the Hotel Windsor to plan a local Rotary organization, which the Nashville Club agreed to sponsor. Initial officers were: Bert Pouder, president, J. W. Ring, vice-president, Munsey Slack, secretary, and W. F. Green, treasurer.

The Club obtained its Charter from the International Association of Rotary Clubs on June 1, 1917, and become The Rotary Club of Johnson City, Tennessee, Club No. 298.

Our club continued Rotary's growth, sponsoring new clubs in Greeneville, Kingsport, and Elizabethton prior to 1926. Later, we sponsored the Johnson City Evening Club (1969), the Tri-City Area Club (1989) and the Unicoi County Club(co-sponsored 1996).

Our meetings were first held in the Windsor Hotel. Meetings were later held at First Methodist Church, Munsey Memorial Methodist Church, Mayne Williams Library, Avalon Dining Room, John Sevier Hotel, Holiday Inn and the Johnson City Country Club (since 1988).

Our early community service efforts included the Crippled Children's Hospital and the Children's Home. It is fitting that our club recognized polio as a target of our efforts, as Rotary International has since established a goal of worldwide eradication of polio by 2005, RI's centennial year.