Old Missoula

Missoula Rotary Club Charter Given May 2, 1917; Unit Starts Year Earlier

Missoula’s Rotary Club , which numbers 195 on the roster of Rotary International’s roster of more than 10,000 member clubs, was chartered May 2, 1917.

It was formally organized Nov. 18, 1916, under the leadership of Leslie Woods, who became the first president. Other charter members were Harry O. Bell, Edgar F. Dodds, Dr. Morton J. Elrod, the Rev. Henry S. Gatley, E. S. Holmes, Daniel F. McGowan, William L. Murphy, George G. Newlon, D. D. Richards, F. A. Silcox, DeLoss Smith and Warren Wilcox.

The only charter members still in the club are Bell, president in 1919-20, and Holmes, 1931-32 president. Four members of the Missoula club have served as Rotary district governors. They are the Rev. Mr. Gatley in 1925-26, Royal L. Mann 1937-38, H. F. Root 1944-45 and G. Evan Reely 1954-55.

Objects of Rotary are set forth as being to encourage high ethical standards in business, to make service the basis of all worthy enterprise, to have active interest in the civic, commercial, social and moral welfare of the community, to develop a broad acquaintanceship as an opportunity for service as well as an aid to success, to interchange ideas and business methods as a means of increasing the efficiency and usefulness of Rotarians, and to recognize the worthiness of all legitimate occupations and the dignifying of the occupation of each Rotarian as affording him an opportunity to serve society.

The Rotary Club has supported many community projects. In August 1935 the club presented the city with a deed to the island property under the Higgins Avenue Bridge and expressed the hope that the city would improve the land as a municipal park. The park was to be named for Rotarian Dr. Morton J. Elrod.

The Missoula club has contributed greatly to the Rotary Foundation which sends graduate students abroad. Since 1947, 1,318 grants have been made to students from 68 countries for study in 45 countries. The club has contributed $2,800 over the past five years.

Throughout its history the Rotary Club has assisted the Boy Scouts of America and their former camp, Camp Paxson, on Seeley Lake. In 1957 Rotarians began their drive to establish a driver training program. Altogether Rotarians obtained $30,000 for the program through campaigns, donations and assessments within the club.

Rotary officers for 1959-60 were J. C. Garlington, president; Edward L. Swift, vice president; Percy Frazier Jr., secretary-treasurer, and J. Harding Townsend, sergeant-at-arms.