My curiosity about a story that reported that Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame was at one time an active Rotarian led to some research where I came across this posting by the Rotary Fellowship of Global History.
There were dozens of famous names in history but several stood out. Admiral Richard E. Byrd the arctic explorer was a member of the Winchester, Virginia Rotary Club. Author Edgar Casey belonged to the Detroit club. U.S. President Warren G. Harding was a member of the Washington, DC Club in 1920. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas was an active Rotary member.
Statesman and presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson was a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield, Ill.
Chief Justice Earl Warren of the US Supreme Court, Guglielmo Marconi, credited as inventor of the radio despite the fact that it was Nicola Tesla that actually invented it, were a Rotarians.
Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, now one of the largest corporations in the world, was a member of the Bentonville, Arkansas Club. J.C. Penny belonged to the Rotary Club of New York. Founder of the Walgreen Drugs, Charles R. Walgreen, was a member of the Chicago club and for years insisted the 4-Way Test hang in every store. Famous baseball player Connie Mack McGillicuddie belonged to Rotary.
Dr. Charles H. Mayo, co-founder of the world famous Mayo Clinic joined the Rochester, Minnesota Club. Clarence Birdseye, the man who discovered how to quick freeze food joined in 1935.
The name Norman Vincent Peale is know throughout the world. Few know he was a Rotarian and chaired the RI Public Relations Committee.
US Politicians in Rotary include Diane Feinstein and Senator Richard Lugar from Indianapolis. And who could forget Sidney, “Charlie Chan” Toler and his movies. He was a Rotarian in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
I bet you did not know that Easter Seals was started by a Rotarian. Edgar “Daddy” Allan worked on a club project to assist children afflicted with polio. His organization received the first grant given by the Rotary Foundation.
Joyce Hall founded Hallmark Cards and was a member of the Rotary Club of Kansas City.
The next time someone asks, “Who joins Rotary?” tell them. As a Rotarian you are always in good company.