1930

Rotary celebrates its 25th anniversary with the Silver Jubilee Convention in Chicago, 23-27 June. All but three of the past RI presidents attend. Rotarians take trips to the University of Chicago, sail on Lake Michigan, and golf at more than 30 golf clubs. Rotarians' wives enjoy tea at the Edgewater Beach Hotel. All attend the Venetian Carnival, held off Navy Pier.

1940

World War II tests Rotary's hope for peace. Rotarians establish the Rotary Relief Fund to help war victims. They also draft a resolution calling for "respect for human rights," setting the stage for Rotary's prominent role in promoting world peace.

1943

Rotary International officially adopts The Four-Way Test, one of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics. Herbert J. Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago who would later become the 1954-55 RI president, drafts the 24-word test in 1932 to help an aluminum company on the verge of bankruptcy after the Great Depression.

1945

A group of 49 Rotarians help draft the United Nations Charter. Rotary International is granted adviser status at the UN Charter Conference. Rotarians provide translation and dispute-resolution services to attendees. Rotary's early involvement with the UN sets the stage for future partnerships with UN agencies.

Read about Rotary and the UN

1947

Rotary founder Paul Harris dies on 27 January. More than 300,000 Rotarians mourn. An outpouring of contributions to The Rotary Foundation creates the Paul Harris Memorial Fund, which awards Fellowships for Advance Study to 18 fellows to study abroad during the 1947-48 Rotary year, forming the precursor to the Ambassadorial Scholarships program.

Read about Ambassadorial Scholarships

1950

Rotary formally approves two official mottoes at the RI Convention in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Service Above Self and He Profits Most Who Serves Best are slightly modified versions of slogans created by early Rotarians.

Read about the history of Rotary mottoes

1955

Rotary celebrates its golden anniversary with 8,500 clubs in 89 countries. The RI Convention is held in Chicago. U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon is a guest speaker. Rotary International produces the Rotary Golden Theater Radio Show in honor of the anniversary.

Listen to episodes from the Rotary Golden Theater Radio Show

1957

The Rotary Foundation creates Paul Harris Fellow Recognition and other awards for donors to Foundation programs. The awards are announced in the May 1957 issue of The Rotarian .