The Rotary Club of Marietta was founded in September, 1919 by Marietta businessman, John W. Hancock. Beginning with 21 charter members, the Club's membership had grown to approximately 150 by 2001.

Throughout its existence, the Rotary Club of Marietta has initiated and participated in service programs that have benefited tens of thousands of people worldwide. Adhering to the motto, "Service above self", Marietta Rotarians have contributed freely their time, money and even their homes to foster international understanding, education and fellowship. When a need arises Marietta Rotarians have always asked how they can help, and then have helped.

More than $25,000 dollars in donations from Rotarians are channeled each year to worthy causes through the Marietta Rotary Foundation Fund. In addition, thousands of dollars have been contributed to provide Christmases for children who normally would not have one. But the largest contributions come in terms of time and personal involvement, for no project can survive without a dedicated person behind it. 

CHARTER MEMBERS

John C. Baldwin, John H. Boston, Bolan G. Brumby, James Remley Brumby, Otis A. Brumby, Tom Micah Brumby, Jr., Doyle P. Butler, Adrian V. Courtelyou, George Exposition Daniel, John W. Hancock, Ralph J. Hancock, McCormick Hodges, William Tate Holland, James Edward Massey, Morgan McNeel, Ralph Northcutt, Samuel Lenox Rambo, Moultrie M. Sessions, M. Kemper Smith, William Henry Wyatt

CLUBS WE HAVE SPONSORED AND HELPED ORGANIZE

When Where

First President

Our Club President

1924 Cartersville

1937 Canton

1938 Austell

1963 Smyrna

1969 Paulding County

1978 Marietta Metro

1985 East Cobb

1988 North Cobb

1994 West Cobb

H.B. Robertson

W. S. Elliott

Leon Ragsdale

Gardner Potter

Jim Goodman

Fred Aiken

Dudley Field

Jim Powell

Ralph Hancock

Bill Stephens

Charlie Wood

Sidney Clotfelter

Isador Schwartz

Henry Hill

Jim Speed

Larry Freeman

Phil Blackwell

ROTARIANS REMEMBER

To glean a personal perspective of our founder, John Hancock, Lib McGowan, his granddaughter, was asked to describe him. She gives this account: 'Papa was a strong and principled man with very strong feelings about right and wrong, a very civic minded man who was once mayor of Rome, Georgia and was a leader in getting the square in Marietta paved. He loved Rotary-founding the Marietta Club but also clubs in Cartersville, Rome and Macon. My grandfather was a very gregarious man who loved people but hated crows. He had a running battle with Miss Sally Camp-later Mrs. O.B. Keeler, Jr. He would grab his gun and start shooting crows when he saw them in his garden. Inevitably, my grandmother would come to the door and in a very gentle voice say, "John, Miss Sally called and wants you to stop shooting squirrels and crows." Papa would say, and I quote, "***XXX###***. That went on as long as he lived. "Papa was not a teetotaler", Lib concludes with this story: "Every afternoon, when Papa came home from work, he would go to the bathroom and take a drink from a bottle. Even though we knew it was his 'toddy', grandmother always insisted it was his 'medicine'."

From our own ROTARY BUSTER, precursor to THE ROTALIGHT, the following quotation: "In an editorial dated August lst, 1924, THE RORARIZONIAN is quoted thusly. Entitled 'THE THINGS THAT ROTARY DOES', it states, 'The object of Rotary is to bring the members of business and the professions together - to raise the standard of ethics, to promote and consolidate for service, and to give effect to the motto, which says, 'He profits most who serves the best.' In general we may say, 'The object of Rotary is to promote and extend the spirit of cooperation and that can be accomplished to the fullest extent only by the previous promotion of personal friendships. Thus, men of different classifications who otherwise would not be brought into personal contact are made to touch elbows at the luncheon table. We think, though, that the friendships of men of the same classifications should not be too ostentatious. Then it might be suspected that they are contriving less for the raising of ethics, than for raising the prices and schedules of fees of their business or profession. There are other Rotary friendships that should be held in somewhat restraint. When week after week, the physician and the undertaker are sitting together as if by understood arrangement, we are assailed by a fear of collusion that means no good for the rest of us. But for all that may be a consolidation of interest that indirectly benefits, it withdraws our thoughts from purely mundane things, asks us to think of the hereafter and turns us to make our wills and our peace with heaven. BUT WE WOULD RATHER SEE THE PHYSICIAN AND THE UNDERTAKER SEATED AT DIFFERENT TABLES. THIS IS MERE SUGGESTION TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS."

The material on this page is all taken from, SEVENTY YEARS OF SERVICE, edited by Dan Worley. This book was given to Rotarians attending our 75th anniversary celebrations. The part, Rotarians Remember, was authored by Dot and Henry Hill. If you have this book, take time to read it. If you don't, it is in the Georgia Room of the Cobb County Library. It is an interesting and enjoyable read. Watch for more history.

---Submitted by Henry Hill, Chairman Club History Committee.