Years Of Tradition Keep The Vision Of Service
In Milwaukee Rotary

December 20, 1914 – First Christmas dinner for impoverished Milwaukee boys. A Milwaukee tradition that continued for 14 years.

1916 – President M.C. Potter proclaimed that, henceforth, members were to use first names in addressing one another.

1917 – U.S. entered World War I. Milwaukee Rotarians active.

May 17, 1917 – * Milwaukee Rotarian presided at installation of new Rotary Club in Racine.

1919 – Moved meeting place to new Milwaukee Athletic Club.

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1920 – Established Rotary Fund for Educating Worthy Boys. Rotarian Oscar Stotzer urged Rotary Club to participate in formation of Civic Alliance.

1921 – * Milwaukee sponsored formation of new Rotary Club in Waukesha.

1927 – Established College Educational Fund.

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1931 – Past President Laflin reviewed accomplishments of Club during past 18 years. "In every community undertaking, Rotarians were in preponderance". Rotarians were leaders and workers in Community Fund campaigns; members served on Boards of Directors of Boy Scouts, Y.M.C.A. and Association of Commerce.

1936 – Past President's Club formed.

1939 – Better Business Bureau of Milwaukee established by Milwaukee Rotary and headed up by Rotarian Richard Jordan.

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1941 – Rotarians Oscar Stotzer, Richard Jordan, Charles L. Wirth, Jr., Otto R. Kuehn, Frank W. Greusel, Clifford A. Randall and Walter G. Mayer approved a resolution supporting a sports stadium in Milwaukee, with the intent of obtaining a major league baseball team franchise.

With the entrance of the U.S. in World War II, Club members were active in support of troops stationed at General Bill Mitchell Field and in aiding victims of bombing raids on Britain.

1945 – Milwaukee Rotarians assumed major responsibility for the post-war development and modernization of Milwaukee.

Greater Milwaukee Committee - Rotarians were deeply involved in the origins of this community-focused organization. Rotarians Clifford A. Randall, William Pollock, Irwin Maier, Joe Heil, Don Abert, Otto Kuehn, Howard Stark, Ed Gerhardy, R.C. Zimmerman, Bob Baird, Ralph Friedman and Ted Friedlander were leaders.

1948 – Corporation was formed to organize activities celebrating Wisconsin's centennial as a state. Subsequently, the focus of the Corporation was expanded to include the promotion of projects such as an expressway system, a sports arena, a new museum, city administration building and Union Terminal.

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1953 – Efforts of Clifford A. Randall and the Greater Milwaukee Committee resulted in the transfer of the Braves baseball team from Boston to Milwaukee.

1957 – Milwaukee Rotary Club provided funds ($12,000) to construct a winter cabin for Boy Scouts at Indian Mound Camp.

*The new West Milwaukee Club was sponsored and chartered by the Milwaukee Rotary Club.

October 22, 1957 – Milwaukee Rotary held its first meeting at the New War Memorial Center. Rotarian Will Ross was a leader in the development and building of this major GMC project on the lakefront.

1958 – Clifford A. Randall elected president of Rotary International, Rotary's highest office.

*The club assisted businessmen in Cudahy and South Milwaukee in forming the MItchell Field Rotary Club, the 10,000th club in Rotary International, during Cliff Randall's term as president of Rotary International.

June, 1958 – Rotarian Richard Teschner advocated the development of a major music center culminating in the building of the Performing Arts Center.

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1960 – Milwaukee Rotary developed program to support Music for Youth program in Milwaukee.

1962 – *Milwaukee Rotary Club continued to facilitate formation of additional Rotary Clubs in the area, including Brookfield.

Members volunteer as Bell Ringers for Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

1963 – Funded and established Low Vision Clinic at Curative Workshop. More than 100 patients were treated during the first year.

1965 – International Student Center established by Rotary.

1968 – Charitable Trust established to facilitate availability of funds for worthwhile projects.

1969 – After more than a decade of effort, Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center opened on September 17. Richard Teschner, chairman of the War Memorial Development Committee, with fellow Rotarians Irwin Maier, Dr. J. Martin Klotsche, Stanley Glen, A.D. Robertson, Cliff Randall, Ed Gerhardy, Ralph Friedmann and William Minehan made this magnificent building a reality for Milwaukee.

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1974 – Milwaukee Rotary Blood Bank established through efforts of Dick Wells, Ed Heinecke and Harry Franke.

In November, Rotarian Jack Lindsay advocated and implemented the Reading is Fundamental program. This popular program is funded by the Club's Charitable Trust.

1975 – Camp Enterprise established. Proposed and advocated by Rotarian John Roethle to provide means to educate high school students in the role and operation of our free enterprise system. First camp in May, 1976, and now a very successful, popular annual event. In 1980, the Club was recipient of a Freedom Foundation Award for this program.

1976 – Implemented Golden Buy Pass Program, a discount program for senior citizens.

1978 – Established the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) program for sister club in Patna, India. Also provided funds for cardiovascular pacemaker for the Medical College Hospital in Patna.

1979 – 7,000 books shipped to Patna for the RIF program.

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1980 – DISEC (District International Student Exchange). Through this program, high school students in Milwaukee interchange with students from foreign countries.

1982 – Second Harvest, a community food bank, is established by Milwaukee Rotary.

1987 – Jean McKey, daughter of Past President and Past District Governor, is welcomed as the Club's first female member.

1988 – Milwaukee pledges $96,503.00 to Rotary International's Polio Plus campaign to eradicate the disease throughout the world.

Milwaukee Rotary Club celebrates the 75th Anniversary of community leadership and service in Milwaukee.

1989 – Rotary's continued cooperation with Milwaukee Public Schools, resulting in the "Milwaukee Youth Survey" and the Greater Milwaukee Education Trust. Board of Directors increased to 15 members - to serve 3-year terms.

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1990 – Health Education Center is approved by the membership as a joint project of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Junior League of Milwaukee and Rotary Clubs of Wisconsin. $500,000 pledged by the membership to kick off the fundraising phase. An Executive Director is hired for the Center and a Board of Directors established.

1991 – One On One mentoring program established with Webster Middle School. School Partnerships developed with Riverside University High School and Webster Middle School.

1992 – First annual "Valentine's Gala" raises $10,000 for the Clifford A. Randall Memorial Trust.
Past President Rick Luedke serves as District 6270 Governor and Milwaukee Rotary hosts the District Conference at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

1993 – The River Revitalization Foundation formed as a joint project of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and the Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee.

1993 – Sister Camille Kliebhan is inducted as the first female President of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. 

1994 – Milwaukee Rotary Club joins a partnership with the City of Milwaukee Health Department and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in an "All Kids Count" Immunization Project.

1995 – Construction of the Health Education Center is near completion, and students will begin attending summer classes in July.

1996 – More than 22,000 school-age children from this area have passed through the doors of the Health Education Center and have been empowered with the knowledge to make healthy lifestyle decisions.

1997 – After 10 years of the "Fair Share" giving plan and other generous donations, the RCM Foundation achieved its initial objective of $1,000,000. While the Foundation will continue to grow, the Club can now provide more financial support to Club projects and other community or international efforts.

1998 – A growth year. Increasing membership, hit 400. Golf outing rededicated to raise money for RCM charitable efforts. Added a "Health & Fitness" committee. Added a "Start Smart" committee for kids 0-6 years old. Increased "Networking" and cooperation with Civic Alliance, area Rotary Clubs, and Future Milwaukee. Completed an excellent RCM brochure.

1999 – Launched our commitment to Wisconsin Lake Schooner Education Association and Great Lakes Future; sponsored new Rotary Club; donated two sun ovens to Honduras; drilled water wells in India; sponsored Future Milwaukee Gateways mentoring; continued support for the Children's Health Education Center, Reading is Fundamental and Second Harvest; began review of membership policies.

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2000 – A year of revitalization. Task Force established to insure maintenance of 400 members emphasizing greater diversity of membership. Increased size of Tuesday lunch attendance. Sponsored two-day public display of Denis Sullivan and three other tall ships. Website implemented.

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*Clubs which were formed under the auspices and leadership of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee.