Paul P. Harris the founder of Rotary was born at Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. on April 19, 1868. When he was three years old, he was taken to Willingford, Vermont, to live with his paternal grandparents. The Black River Academy at Ludlow, Vermont and Vermont Academy at Saxtons River, prepared him for his studies at the University of Vermont, Princeton University of lowa. Following his graduation from the Law School of the University of lowa in 1891, he decided to spend the next five years in seeing the world and coming to know his fellow men, before settling down to practice law in Chicago.

He worked as a newspaper reporter, a business college teacher, a stock company actor, a cow boy and a salesman for a granite concern and settled down as a lawyer in 1896.

For the next several years, he devoted a great deal of time on reflecting on conditions of life and business and by 1905, he had formulated a definite philosophy of business relations.

Talking it over with three of his clients, Silvester Schiele, a coal merchant, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer and Hiram Shorey a merchant tailor, he conceived the idea of organising a club which came into being on 23rd of February, 1905. This was the nucleus for the thousands of Rotary Clubs which were later organised throughout the world.

While Paul Harris devoted much of his time to Rotary, he was also prominent in civic and professional work. He was Honorary Vice President of the International Society for Crippled Children, a member of the Board of managers of the Chicago Bar Association and member of the International Committee of the American Bar Association.

During his life time, he received many recognitions and awards from different countries, including the coveted Legion of Honour Award by France. He was elected President Emeritus of Rotary International in 1912 and was active in Rotary until his death.